A Smile like Sunshine
by Seigi-san
Summary: A collection of random babbling stories. Neo or Mwu x Murrue, due to my fangirl obsession...
1. Haircut

:Hi there! I'm Seigi-san, and this is my first fanfic. So if any of it is OOC, well:P. Two friends of mine, jadzia-san and lithiumflower56, persuaded me that I'd be good at writing my own fic. So, here it is.  
It's romantic and Neo and Murrue themed mainly because my fangirl devotion to the MXM pairing has reached the level known as 'obsessive'. Please read and review, okay:

Disclaimer: Spare monies for n00b?

'If you're going to stay on this ship as a crewmember, then you'll need one of our uniforms. Oh, and a haircut'  
That last addition had baffled Neo Lorrnoke. Sure, he understood why he'd need a new uniform, but why a haircut?  
He had asked Captain Ramius if he couldn't just keep his hair the way it was. After all, her hair was just as long as his, and this ship wasn't really part of the Orb military.  
She had just sighed and mentioned some regulation about male crewmembers having to have their hair a certain length or something like that. It didn't make much sense to Neo, but then again, he hadn't really been paying much attention to her words. After she had finished speaking, she smiled a little (which caused him to forget everything he'd actually heard) and told him:  
'You never know, shorter hair might suit you'  
Her small smile had charmed Neo, and he decided there and then that to make it one of his missions as part of this crew to cause his new Captain to smile properly. He was sure it would make her ten times more beautiful than she already was. He smiled back at her as he hit on an idea.  
'Okay then, I'll get my hair cut. But on one condition'  
Murrue frowned up at him. 'What's that'  
His grin widened. 'That you cut it for me'.

Murrue went pink and looked away. Why was he asking her this? It's not like she knew how to do that, or that she and the Colonel were even close enough for him to suggest something like that.  
'I-I don't know how...it would be better if Lacus-san was to do it. After all, she's had experience at that kind of thing living with the orphans. I'll ask her when she gets ba..huh'  
She was cut off as Neo leaned down and stared right into her eyes, a heart-stoppingly familiar boyish grin on his face.  
'Uh-uh, it doesn't work like that, Captain. If I have to get a haircut against my will, then I should at least get to decide on the conditions. Besides, how do you know you can't do it unless you try'  
He noticed that she was blushing slightly, which only encouraged him more. Time for a different approach.  
'Please?' he wheedled, ducking down to look into her face.  
Murrue averted her face again, blushing deeper, all the while cursing her own body's reaction to him.  
No matter how often she told herself that this man wasn't her Mwu, he looked and now acted so much like him that her own body betrayed her mind's command.  
'O-okay', she managed to stutter, still not able to look at him. 'But not where anyone can see, it would be too embarrassing. Oh, and not anywhere too...too private, either'  
she finished, wishing the ground could open up and swallow her. Why had she just said that? And why the hell was she acting like a schoolgirl with a crush?  
Neo raised an eyebrow, smiling at how nervous she was. It was rather cute.  
'How private is too private? I won't try anything, you know'  
Murrue collected herself and glared up at him. 'That's not what I meant, and you know it. We'll go to my office, if you're so determined that I should cut your hair for you'  
She stalked off, not waiting for him. Neo followed her, inwardly celebrating his victory.

In her captain's office, she sat him down in the chair opposite her desk, and left him there while she rooted in the drawer for a pair of scissors. Finding a rather nasty looking pair, she walked around the desk and stood behind him.  
'Now, sit still and don't fidget, or I might end up cutting an ear off'  
Neo nodded meekly, and looked around the office while Murrue snipped away at his hair. There were precious few personal items in this room, it was all very formal. That was the way it should be on a battleship, but he was surprised that she would be like that, as she was very different from any other captain he had ever met. If he had said half of the things to an EA female captain that he'd said to Captain Ramius, he'd have got his ass kicked or been reprimanded, colonel though he was. But oddly enough, this captain just tolerated his flirting, as if she was used to it...

'Finished' she called to him, snapping him out of his reverie. What with his thoughts (and the feel of her gentle fingers on the back of his neck) he had almost fallen asleep.  
'Already?' he replied, whining slightly. 'I was enjoying that'  
'Well, nearly. I still have to cut your fringe. Close your eyes'  
Neo complied, and she managed to trim the unruly golden curls without making it look too crooked,  
which she was rather proud of. When Murrue was satisfied with her work, she remembered a trick she had seen real hairdressers use. Leaning forward, she took the ends of his hair on both sides and measured them between her fingers to see if each side was equal, forgetting how close she was to him.

Still with his eyes closed, Neo was suddenly conscious of a presence very close to him, and the scent of flowers. Opening his eyes, he noticed that the Captain's face was only inches away from his own.  
She was concentrating so hard on what she was doing, that she didn't see that he was staring at her.  
His gaze moved down, and focused on her lips. They were parted slightly, as she was chewing on her bottom lip while she measured his hair. She was so close, he couldn't resist.  
As if it was natural, he gently grasped her chin in one hand, and brought her lips to his.  
Murrue's eyes shot wide open in surprise and she dropped her scissors. What in the...? What was he doing?  
Neo closed his eyes and twined the fingers of his other hand in her auburn hair as he continued to kiss her.  
Once her initial shock had died down, Murrue couldn't help but be drawn into his kiss. It felt so familiar, his lips were so warm...She closed her eyes, about to return his kiss...then she remembered. He wasn't Mwu, not yet, no matter how much he acted like him, and no matter how badly she wanted to kiss him back.  
She pulled away from him, almost falling over her desk, and blushed deep crimson. What on Earth had she almost done?  
Neo had opened his eyes in surprise when he felt her pull away. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but he hadn't been able to help himself. But he hadn't expected her to be quite so shocked. She was now leaning against her desk, breathing hard, her cheeks scarlet. He wasn't sure whether she was angry or just flustered.  
He had better take this carefully...

'I'm sorry, Captain, I didn't mean'  
She couldn't look at him, or answer him. She wasn't angry at him (well, maybe a little) so much as she was angry for not being able to control herself. And despite this, she knew that if she looked at him, she would just blush again. He wasn't Mwu, so why was she acting like this?  
Neo stood up and walked over to her slowly. He knew that if he said the wrong thing, she might run away, or worse, never speak to him again. But what should he say? He had never been good in situations like this, (not that he'd ever been in many) and he was a little scared. After running through various options, he decided on something. Walking over to the Captain, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.  
'Thank you'  
She looked up at him questioningly, her cheeks still pink.  
'For the haircut, I mean' he elaborated. 'I actually feel much lighter now'  
She wanted to glare at him again, but instead, she couldn't help smiling a little. Even if he wasn't Mwu, he certainly had Mwu's ability to defuse awkward situations.  
'You're welcome.' she finally answered.  
'Do I look all right?' he asked, pulling at the ends of his now collar-length hair.  
Murrue looked him over. Shorter hair, the collar of his uniform unzipped, and his jacket sleeves rolled up.  
'Yes,' she said, 'You look fine'. Then she smiled at him properly for the first time.  
Neo was delighted. Her smile did make her more beautiful, just as he had imagined. It lit up her face like sunshine. He vowed to make her smile like that more often.  
'Come on,' he said, gesturing to the door. 'Let's go.'

:Well, there ya have it, my first fic. Reviews and comments welcome, but if you must flame me, please keep it to a light toasting instead of a chargrilling. I have a lot more ideas for fics, but only you can decide whether I'll go ahead with them or not, okay: 


	2. Matsuri: Festival

: Hey, thanks so much for the reviews! I decided to post up one of my other ideas that we discussed on

the NSG forums. I hope you all like this one too:

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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The morning sunlight streamed in through the thin curtains, causing Murrue to blink slowly, and open

her eyes. She turned her head to the right to check the clock on her bedside table. 6AM?

She groaned and snuggled back down, intent on getting at least an hour's more sleep.

A few moments later, she realised that would never happen.

"Mama, Mama, wake up, Mama!" chirped a voice. Murrue cracked her eyes open slightly.

"Stellar, it's only six o'clock. It's still sleep time'

Her five-year-old daughter frowned and clambered onto the bed, sinking into the soft mattress.

"But the sun's shining, Mama, so it must be morning!"

Murrue sighed and sat up. Her little girl's auburn hair was all messy and sprinkled with cornflakes,

and her blue eyes twinkled with mischief (just like her father's). Her nightdress was dirty, and soaked

with what looked like orange juice..

"Stellar, what have you been doing to get so dirty?"

The child beamed and jumped off the bed, picking up a tray she had left on the floor.

"Lookie, I made you and Papa some breakfast!"

The tray held two bowls of milk with a few cornflakes swimming in them, and two cups of

orange juice. Murrue couldn't help smiling.

"Thank you very much. Did you get breakfast too?"

"Uh-huh, I got cereal" replied her daughter.

"Very good. Now I guess I'd better wake up your papa."

She poked the lump lying fast asleep next to her.

"Mwu, time to wake up"

All she got in reply was a grunt. Murrue huffed, making Stellar giggle.

"Come on, lazy. Stellar made us breakfast"

"Mmmmphhh. Too early.."

Murrue shook her head and sighed. Her husband was so difficult to wake up. She was just glad it was

summer, as waking Mwu up was ten times harder in cold weather...

"Stellar, do you want to try waking Papa up?"

Her little girl smiled, pulled up the blanket at the bottom of the bed, and started tickling her father's

feet. Mwu yelled and squirmed around, trying to get his feet out of reach. Murrue just laughed.

Mwu then sat bolt upright, grabbed Stellar from the bottom of the bed, and started tickling _her_ feet,

causing her to squeal with laughter.

"Stop it, Papa, stop it!"

Letting go of his little girl, Mwu reached across and started tickling his wife instead. Murrue tried

her best to escape, but he wasn't about to let her go so fast.

Eventually she got him to stop, breathing hard and her cheeks bright red from laughter.

"That wasn't fair" she reproached. "I wasn't the one who tickled you"

Mwu just grinned, blue eyes dancing with merriment.

"But you forget, my love, you were the one who put Stellar up to it"

Murrue pouted and looked away, making Stellar giggle again. Mwu just gently turned Murrue's

head to face his, and kissed her softly. He could tell she was trying her best to stay mad at him,

(or at least, pretending to be mad) but gradually he wore down her resistance until she was

kissing him back. When they finally broke for air, their daughter put the breakfast tray carefully

on the bed.

"Look, Papa, I made breakfast for you and Mama!"

Mwu smiled gently and ruffled her hair. "Thanks, muffin"

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Later in the day, Murrue walked into the living room looking for her husband. Mwu wasn't

there, just Stellar sitting on the floor drawing a picture.

"Stellar, sweetie, have you seen your Papa?"

The little girl looked up. "He's upstairs" she replied. "Playing with his trains"

Murrue smiled. When they had first moved into this house after the war seven years ago, one

of the first things Mwu had done was go out and buy a massive train set, complete with tracks,

stations, the whole works, and proceeded to set it up in the attic. When she had protested at

it taking up a whole room, Mwu had merely smiled and said:

"_Relax, there are five other bedrooms in this house. How many kids were you planning on_

_us having?_"

Murrue had only been able to blush and look away, frustrated that once again, he'd been able

to turn the tables on her.

The sound of the telephone ringing snapped her out of her daydream. Stellar dropped her crayons

and raced over to pick up the phone.

"Hello, La Fllaga residence" she said in her best 'grown-up' voice, making her mother smile.

"Oh, hi Uncle Kira! Yep, I'm fine, and so are Mama and Papa! Huh, what's that, a festival? Wow!"

Stellar looked up at Murrue

"Uncle Kira says there's a festival at the park tonight. He says everyone's going. Can we go too,

Mama? Please?"

Murrue smiled again. A festival sounded like a lot of fun.

"Sure, honey. Tell Uncle Kira we'll be ready at six"

The festival **was** a lot of fun. For the full experience, they had all gone wearing cotton _yukata_,

or summer kimonos. Mwu was a bit uncomfortable wearing his, but Murrue had put her hand on

his arm and told him he looked very handsome.

They all tried the games. Athrun proved the best at goldfish catching, where he gave one of

his prizes to Meyrin (who had accompanied him) and saved the other to give to Cagalli, who

was unfortunately too busy with her work to attend.

Lacus then pointed to the ring toss booth.

"Kira, please try and win me that" she asked sweetly, gesturing to a pink stuffed bunny.

Kira smiled at her and paid for a game, winning the plushie easily on his first try.

"Ya know, they really shouldn't let Coordinators play these games" remarked Mwu dryly.

"Ssssshhh! That's not nice!" hissed Murrue, shoving a toffee apple in his mouth.

Since he had two more rings left, Kira won some chocolate, and another, identical bunny, which he

gave to Stellar. Her face lit up in delight.

"Thank you, Uncle Kira!" she said, hugging the toy.

At the end of the festival, Lunamaria bought some hand-held sparkler fireworks.

"The guy at the booth said that whoever's firework lasts the longest will have their dearest wish

granted. Sounds corny, but do you want to give it a try?"

They all stood in a circle except for Murrue and Lacus (who already had their dearest wish

granted) and Stellar, who was too little to try it.

Their fireworks quickly fizzled out one by one, leaving Meyrin and Luna's as the only

ones left. Slowly, however, Meyrin's went out, making Luna the winner. She smiled happily

and glanced at Shinn, who blushed, looked away, and pretended he hadn't noticed.

Meyrin looked dejected, until Athrun placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, which made

her blush.

The firework display at the festival closing was spectacular. Rockets were fired in the dozens,

turning the night sky into a blaze of colours. Mwu glanced down, and saw that his little

daughter had fallen asleep in her mother's arms, clutching her new bunny doll. He smiled

It had been a busy day for her.

Murrue herself was absorbed with the fireworks, the myriad colours reflected in her marigold eyes.

Mwu put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She smiled softly and snuggled

her head against his shoulder.

"So, what would you have wished for?"

Mwu looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"The firework competition" she replied, not moving her head from his shoulder.

"If you had won, what would you have wished for?"

He grinned. "A big happy family, lots more kids"

Murrue blushed pink. "Shouldn't you have asked me that first?"

Mwu looked down at her.

"Why, would you have said 'no'?"

Murrue's blush deepened. "That's not what I meant, I just..."

He chuckled. "It's okay, don't worry. I love you, Murrue"

She looked up at him, cheeks still pink. "I love you too." she whispered.

He leaned down and kissed her, just as the biggest rocket of all exploded in front of them.

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: Well, there ye have it, the second of my babbling stories. Inspiration was brought to you by:

a. Ideas scribbled on the back of a till reciept

b. jadzia-san and lithiumflower56 (hugs them)

c. The NSG forums

d. Angelic Layer (no, really)

Until next time, thanks for reading! Please review, okay:


	3. Isshoni: Together

(Lol, here I am again! This story is unashamed fluff, and it may be that I've made them a little OOC

in it. But I've had this idea floating about in my head for ages, y'see, and I had to write it..)

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Mwu La Fllaga patted the golden leg of the Akatsuki.

"Thanks, buddy. I'll tell the little missy that you saved the ship, okay?"

After changing back into his uniform, he strolled out into the main hangar bay of the _Archangel_. It

felt odd looking at this place and the people working in it. Until a few hours ago it and they had been

strange to him. But now he remembered the place, the people's faces and names. They had been friends, had

fought a war together. It felt like he'd been sleeping, or seeing in black and white, for the last two years...

As he continued to walk past the now silent mobile suits, he became aware that someone was watching him.

A tall woman with auburn hair standing near the door. Murrue.

Mwu smiled. The memories that he was most pleased had returned to him were all about her. Memories

of kisses, stolen moments, their nights alone together...They all hit him at once as he gazed at her, making his

heart skip a beat.

_Did she come here to find me?_

He waved at her and smiled. "Hey"

Murrue looked up and saw him walking towards her. Her mind was whirling. Part of her was wondering

why the hell she had come down here, and part of her wanted to just hug him and never let him go. For

the moment, the rational side of her was winning. She was the captain of this ship, after all and she had to

maintain her dignity.

_Besides, even though I'm pretty sure he's Mwu again now, how can I be certain?_

She took a deep breath, collected herself, and began.

"Um, Colonel, thank you very much for saving the ship. I - we, really appreciate it, and...and..."

She looked up at him. Big mistake. He was just smiling gently at her, his deep blue eyes twinkling.

She felt herself blush, and to her horror, she started stuttering.

"T-that is to say...I...we" She looked away in embarrassment.

_Idiot! IDIOT!_ she scolded herself. Why was she acting this way? Blushing and stammering

like a lovesick teenager? How childish was she being?

Mwu's smile grew as he watched Murrue's internal struggle. He knew she must be horribly

embarrassed by her own reactions and emotions when she was trying to be all official, but

he just found it adorable.

Besides, since she wouldn't (or couldn't) look at him, it gave him a chance to stare at her.

Porcelain skin, marigold eyes, dark auburn hair...His heart skipped again.

_She's even more beautiful than I remember. How could I have forgotten her? How could I not_

_have missed her?_

Before he could stop himself, Mwu reached out to her face with his hand and began to caress

her cheek with his thumb.

Murrue's eyes fluttered closed as she felt his gentle touch on her face. Her cheeks flushed an even

deeper pink, but this time, she didn't notice. She tilted her head to the left, leaning into his caress

ever so slightly. This felt so familiar...

_Hey, what are you doing?_ her rational mind yelled. _You're the captain, remember? Get it together!_

She pulled away from his hand. (regretting it totally) and opened her eyes. She still wasn't able to

look at him, though, and so didn't see the amused smile on his face as he removed his hand.

"Thank you for - um - fighting so hard for us, and...I...uh.." she managed.

Mwu watched Murrue's valiant efforts to be professional, but in truth he was only half listening to

her. He was thinking about how lucky he was. In a funny kind of way, he guessed that he should be

thankful to Djibril. If the EA hadn't found him and decided to save his life, he wouldn't be standing here

now. Sure, in those two years he had been Djbril's puppet, and done some terrible things (he couldn't

bring himself to think about them now), but at least he had been alive. If it hadn't been for Freedom

shooting down his Windam in Berlin, he would never have seen Murrue again. He would have carried on

just being a doll, and most likely have been killed in battle at Heaven's Base, or aboard the _Girty Lue_ in

space. He would have died without ever remembering that he was supposed to be a different person, or

that someone as beautiful as Murrue had stayed so loyal to his memory...

He reached out again, and this time began to play with the hair at the back of her neck. She gasped,

and her words faded away. Once again, her eyes closed and her cheeks reddened.

_I love you so much, Murrue. I'm so glad we were able to find each other again..._

Murrue's rational mind was quickly being drowned out, both by the feel of his fingers gently stroking the

back of her neck, and her own rapidly accelerating heartbeat. This wasn't fair, it wasn't...

"You're not...you're not giving me a chance to...to"

She heard a sigh. "Murrue" he said, sounding a little exasperated.

She opened her eyes and finally looked up at him. What she saw made her gasp again. His blue eyes

shone with emotion...and recognition. Not the cold indifference she had seen there when he had first woken

up in sickbay, but real recognition, as well as happiness...and love. She felt tears prickle the back of her

eyelids.

"Does this count as keeping my promise to you? After all, I have come back, and I did bring victory

with me. I'm just...late, that's all" he said softly.

Murrue burst into tears. "Mwu!" she cried, finally giving in to her emotions, and casting dignity to the winds.

She flung herself into his waiting arms and buried her head in his shoulder, crying her heart out. Mwu could

feel his uniform being soaked through with her tears, but he couldn't care less about that. He wrapped his

arms tightly around her and rocked her back and forth gently, soothing her.

"I - I missed you so much, I just..." she sobbed.

"Ssssshh" he whispered, stroking her hair. "It's all right now, it's all right.."

Murrue removed her head from his shoulder and looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face.

"I love you, Mwu, please don't ever leave me again.."

He smiled down at her.

"Not a chance. You're stuck with me now."

She raised up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately. Mwu

returned the kiss immediately, closing his eyes and pulling Murrue close to him. She smiled as he did

so, her loneliness and heartache evaporating, never to return.

_This time, we can be together forever..._

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(Awwwww, how sweet. If I made them OOC, this time I don't care. I've wanted to write this for ages, ever

since Fukuda didn't bother to add a reunion scene to GSD (damn you!).

I always imagined that Murrue-san would be so happy that Mwu finally came back to her, but

try and keep a dignified front, bless her.

Inspiration brought to you today by:

a. More notes on a till reciept.

b. Insomnia.

c. Fanart.

d. An overactive imagination.

Please read and review!)


	4. Picnic

(Okay, round four. Lithiumflower mentioned she wanted me to write more about the park, so you can

all blame her for this one (j/k lol). But this one seemed to almost write itself...)

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"Hey, Mama:" asked Stellar over breakfast one morning.

"Papa read me a story last night all about a teddy bears' picnic in the woods. Well, we don't have

any woods near here, but can we have a teddy bears' picnic in the park instead? Please, Mama?"

"That sounds like fun, sweetie" replied Murrue, who was in the middle of washing up.

"But I don't have any teddy bears"

"What are you talking about? You have me, don't you?" retorted Mwu, who was still sitting at the

table. Murrue just raised an eyebrow and flicked soapy water at him.

"It's okay, Mama, we don't really have to bring teddy bears" said Stellar seriously.

"But can we have a picnic anyway? Please?"

Murrue looked out of the kitchen window. The day was hot and sunny, perfect weather for a picnic.

Of course, in Orb, every day was warm, but today seemed special, somehow.

"Sure we can. But only if you help clear up the breakfast dishes, okay"

Stellar's face lit up, and she started picking up plates as fast as she could, and putting them on the worktop.

Mwu grinned as he saw how excited his daughter was. Hearing the rattle of the letterbox, he walked over to

pick up the mail, and sorted through it. Junk mail, most of it. But one official looking letter addressed to Murrue

stood out.

"Hey, Murrue, you got mail" he said, handing her the envelope. Drying her hands, Murrue just glanced at it idly,

until the return address caught her eye and made her gasp.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Mwu, watching his wife's reaction in bewilderment. She had ripped open the

envelope and scanned the contents feverishly, the colour rising in her cheeks.

"Murrue?" he asked again, concerned when she didn't answer. She jumped a mile, as if she had forgotten he

was even there, and spun around quickly.

"Uh...uh, nothing, honey. I'm all right" she blurted.

Mwu just looked at her and cocked an eyebrow, unconvinced. She was such a bad liar...

"Papa?" chirped a little voice near his elbow. Now it was his turn to jump.

"Can we make some stuff for the picnic now?" Stellar asked, tugging at his shirt.

He smiled and picked her up. "Sure we can. What would you like?"

Whatever had been in Murrue's letter, he was sure she would tell him about it eventually.

--------------------------------------------------

The park was full of families enjoying the glorious summer day, and it seemed as though theirs

wasn't the only one who had decided to bring a picnic. There were blankets and baskets everywhere, with people

dotted all over the grass, soaking up the sun. After some time searching, Mwu found them a spot under a cool

shady tree, between some rhododendron bushes. Spreading out the blanket, Murrue looked at Stellar.

"So, do you want to go anywhere before we have our picnic?"

Stellar jumped up and down. "The alphabet steps, Mama!"

In the park, there was a set of 26 steps, each inscribed with a letter of the alphabet. Ever since she had learned

her letters, one of Stellar's favourite games was to run up and down these steps, chanting the letters as she went.

"Okay, sweetheart. But hold on tight to my hand so you don't get lost. The park is busy today" replied

her mother.

"Sure thing, Mama" piped Stellar, taking Murrue's hand.

"Be back soon", Murrue told her husband, kissing him lightly, before she and their daughter walked off

into the park.

Mwu had stayed to save their picnic spot, in the shade of the tree. But he didn't enjoy it as much

as he would have liked to, as he was lost in his own thoughts.

Lately he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong with Murrue. Her appetite had all

but disappeared, and she was very pale. He had also caught her staring into space a lot of the time, which

wasn't like her at all. She had tried her best to hide it from him, like always, but he had seen straight

through her. He had been worried that the letter this morning had been bad news, but instead, Murrue's

reaction had been one of happiness...Mwu had tried to find the letter, but unfortunately she had hidden

that far better than her condition.

"We're back, Papa! Did you fall asleep?" asked Stellar as she clambered onto his lap. He had been so

lost in thought that he hadn't noticed his wife and daughter's return.

"Huh? Oh no, I was just thinking. Is it time for lunch already?"

"Uh-huh! It's picnic time!" she replied, digging into the basket and handing Murrue a sandwich.

"Here ya go, Mama, this one's yours!"

Murrue smiled softly. "No thanks, Stellar, Mama's not hungry right now"

She noticed Mwu's worried expression, and smiled at him to cheer him up. He didn't smile back at

her, and it made her nervous.

_Does he know?_

"Papa? Papa, are you okay? Mama says she's not hungry yet, so do you want her sandwich?"

Mwu snapped out of his thoughts and gave his little girl an exaggerated grin.

"Yup, sure do. Thanks, sweetie"

After all, he didn't want Stellar to know that something was wrong...

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After their picnic, they all walked through the tree-lined avenues of the park, Murrue and Mwu hand-in-hand.

Each was still worried about the other, but each also knew that they would tell the other their concerns later on.

Because they loved each other, and whatever problems they had, they knew they could work them out

together.

When their stroll took them to the children's play area, Stellar spotted an ice cream van.

"Mama, Papa, please can I have an ice cream?" she asked, her blue eyes alight with happiness.

Mwu grinned. "Okay, but only because I'm having one too". He picked up his daughter and ran with her

in his arms, Stellar laughing happily as they raced towards the waiting van.

Murrue couldn't hide a smile as they came walking back, Stellar clutching an ice lolly. Mwu looked to

have bought a '99, but it was hard to tell, since somehow he had managed to eat nearly all of it in the few

minutes it took to walk back to where she waited. And he had ice cream on his cheek.

Murrue began to giggle.

"Here, I bought you one too," he said, holding out a choc-ice. "Huh, what's so funny?" he demanded,

seeing his wife in fits of laughter.

Murrue simply walked over to Mwu and kissed him on the cheek, licking the ice cream off as she did so.

She blushed slightly as she looked up at him.

"What, did I have some on my face?". He grinned sheepishly. Then his grin widened as he hit on an idea.

Picking up Murrue, he carried her over to the roundabout in the play area, and sat on the outside, her on his

knee.

"Oh no. No, please..." begged Murrue as she realised what was about to happen. Mwu didn't answer, instead

kicking off with his foot, and setting the roundabout going, until they were spinning as fast as the contraption would allow.

As they spun, Mwu glanced down at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was holding onto him so tightly

that her knuckles had turned white.

After they came to a stop, Murrue tried to stand up, but stumbled and fell into him.

"N-no fair!" she gasped., still trying to stand up straight.

Mwu was rather dizzy too, but managed to lead her over to a bench where they could sit until

their world stopped spinning. Stellar had been watching all this time, giggling at her parents' behaviour.

The couple sat on the bench together for hours, enjoying the sunshine and watching Stellar race around with

the other children in the park, laughing and playing. Even though she didn't start school for another month or so yet,

she had never been shy around other kids her age. Not only had she inherited her mother's beauty, but she also

had the full measure of her father's sunny and outgoing personality, so making friends was never a problem for her.

Murrue smiled and snuggled close to Mwu as she watched Stellar play. She was so happy at that moment. She had a

husband that she loved with all her heart, and a beautiful daughter. What more could she ever ask for?

_Well;_ she thought. _There was _one_ thing, but that's all taken care of now..._

She nestled her head in the crook of Mwu's neck, and sighed happily as he leaned down and kissed the top

of her head.

--------------------------------------

All good things must come to an end, however, and this day was no exception. As the sun slowly set, turning the sky

hues of orange, pink, and red, the little family left the park and set out for home. Stellar was sitting up on her father's

shoulders. At first, she had been chattering nineteen to the dozen about the things she had done, and the

new friends she had made, but gradually her chatter died away, and she had fallen asleep, her head resting

on Mwu's, completely wiped out.

"I'm sorry"

Mwu looked down at Murrue in surprise.

"What do you mean, 'sorry'? What for?"

She sighed. "I've been hiding things from you, and I know you've been worried. But I promise you, Mwu,

that I'm all right. Honest."

Mwu squeezed his wife's hand.

"It's okay. As long as you're really all right, I have no problem with you keeping secrets. As long

as they aren't bad ones"

Murrue looked up at him earnestly. "No, it's not bad. I'll tell you. In fact, when we get home, I'll _show_

you. It was in the letter I got this morning"

She smiled and hugged his arm "I'll show you" she repeated quietly.

Back in their house, Mwu gently set their sleeping daughter on the sofa, and sprawled out next to her,

yawning. Murrue set the picnic basket on the kitchen table, and pulled the letter from that morning

out of her skirt pocket.

"Mwu, here, I...". Her voice trailed off as she walked into the living room. Mwu was fast asleep next

to Stellar on the sofa, snoring gently. She giggled softly, and spread the blanket they had used for the

picnic over the two of them.

"I guess he was tired too, huh?" Murrue whispered to herself, putting the letter back in her pocket. She

pushed Mwu to the side a little, and made space for herself to snuggle in on the sofa. As she laid her

head on her husband's shoulder, she smiled.

_It's okay that I didn't get to tell him my secret right away. After all, I have at least eight more months_

_to let him know his wish at the festival is starting to come true..._

----------------------------------

(Wow, how...domestic.

The park in this story is based on a real one, where I used to visit with my cousins in the summer holidays.

And the alphabet steps are there too :laughs:

Inspiration from:

a. Notes

b. My friends

c. Childhood memories.

Please read and review:bows:)


	5. Fuan: Insecure

:Hey there, here I am again! This time round it's going to be a bit angsty, so be warned:

------------------------------------------

The cup of coffee sat on the mess hall table, steam rising from the hot liquid. Mwu watched it idly, but

in truth he wasn't paying much attention. He was too busy thinking about what had happened in the past

twenty-four hours. Yesterday he had recovered all the memories of his past that had been lost to him

for so long, and finally been reunited with Murrue. As a result, last night had been one of the happiest

times of his life.

Murrue had attempted to scold him for risking his life to save the ship, just like he had before, but the

laughing delight on her beautiful face had betrayed her true feelings. The events of last night kept playing

out in his mind, including one conversation that caused him to smile as he thought of it. Murrue had

kept telling him how much she loved him, and he'd asked her about that...

_"Hey, Murrue?" he asked._

_"Hmmmm?" she murmured happily, snuggling closer to him._

_"If I hadn't recovered my memories, could you have loved Neo, do you think?"_

_Murrue smiled. "I think I already did love him"_

_"Oh?" Mwu replied. "Then who do you love more, me or him?"_

_She raised her head off his shoulder to look at him, a surprised expression on her face. Then_

_she smiled._

_"Silly. You are him, and he is you. How can I love one more than the other when you're the same person?"_

_"But if we _were_ different;" he persisted. "Then what?"_

_Murrue kissed the tip of his nose. "You, Mwu, always. Only ever you."_

"Hey, Mwu-san!" came a now familiar voice, breaking into his thoughts. Kira had walked into the mess, and

now sat down opposite him.

"Hey, kid. You came over from _Eternal_? So, how have things been going with the pink princess?"

The boy looked embarrassed. "Uh, fine, I guess, I...So, you got your memories back? How are things

now with you and Murrue-san?"

Now it was Mwu's turn to look embarrassed. "I-uh, well, ya know..."

Kira smiled.

"I'm glad. Murrue-san's been lonely this past two years. Even though she's been living with Bartfeld-san,

we were all still worried about her. It's good that you're both happy now"

Mwu froze. Living with Bartfeld? Murrue hadn't told him **that**. Had he even heard the kid right?

By the time he'd managed to process what he'd just been told, Kira had changed the subject, and

was now talking about the battle. Mwu nodded in what he thought were the right places, and when Kira

paused for breath, made his escape.

"Uh..thanks, kid. I gotta go do maintenance on Akatsuki. Nice talking to you"

Leaving his coffee still untouched on the table, he walked out of the mess hall, leaving a very confused

Kira behind him.

Mwu wandered the corridors of the _Archangel_ for what felt like hours. Last night he had been so happy,

finally reunited with his beloved. But did Murrue really love _him_? What if she had come to love Bartfeld in

the two years he wasn't able to be with her? If she did still love him, then who did she love **more**?

_What do I do? If I lose her, what do I have left?_ He laughed bitterly. _My **memories**?_

He hadn't told anyone, but now that his memories had returned to him, he had become very insecure.

_Before, there wasn't any doubt, because I didn't know what I was missing. But now I remember who_

_and what I'm supposed to be, I'm afraid. Afraid of losing everything again, like I did before._

_Afraid of losing **her**_.

He had lost who he was so easily, how could he ever depend on something so intangible as memory

again? When it all could be snatched away from him like before?

_Besides, the memories I have that are the clearest are the ones of the last two years. The ones_

_I most want to forget..._

That was it. He couldn't keep wandering around like an idiot. Murrue's shift finished in a little while.

He needed answers, and she was the only one who could give them to him.

_I'll go to her room, and wait until she comes back._

In Murrue's room, he sat on the edge of the bed in the half-darkness, not knowing what to do with himself.

He knew Murrue might be mad if she came back and found him sitting here, but he needed to hear the

truth so badly he couldn't just wait for her to find him...

_"You, Mwu, always. Only ever you"_

He grabbed a pillow from her bed and hugged it close to him. Some part of him scoffed at how he

was acting like a child, but right now, he needed comfort. As he sat there in the gloom, breathing in

her scent from the pillow, he never noticed a single tear slip down his cheek and soak into the fabric.

Murrue walked back to her quarters, feeling rather tired. The preparations for the peace talks between

Orb and ZAFT were taking forever. At least Cagalli-san was coming to space soon, so the major parts

would be taken care of. Murrue stretched her arms, feeling muscles pop. Sitting in one place for so

long really took it out of you. Perhaps she would take a bath again..

_Or perhaps Mwu and I can take a bath **together**, like last time..._ She giggled a little at the thought,

and also blushed slightly at what might happen.

As she opened the door to her room, she was taken aback. The light from the hallway fell across

someone sitting on her bed. She smiled as she saw it was Mwu. She was about to flick the light on,

when something made her stop. He hadn't jumped up and yelled 'Surprise!', hadn't come and hugged

her, in fact, it seemed as though he hadn't even noticed her come in.

She walked towards him, the door sliding shut behind her. Mwu was just sitting on the side of the bed,

clutching a pillow, slumped forward slightly.

"Mwu? Mwu, my love, what's wrong?" she asked, by now really worried.

He didn't look up at her, didn't seem to have heard her at all.

"Mwu?" Murrue asked again, sitting down beside him. Finally he stirred.

"Murrue?" he said softly. "Do you love me?"

She was taken aback by this odd question from out of the blue.

"Of course I do, you know that. I never **stopped** loving you" she replied.

Mwu looked up at her, and she was shocked by the desolate expression on his face.

"Even when you were with _him_?" he asked, looking away.

Murrue was baffled. "What do you mean?"

"The kid told me you and Bartfeld lived together in the two years that I...wasn't around. Did he...did

you...?" he stuttered, the concept seemingly too painful to even think about.

Now she understood. He thought she...

"Bartfeld-_taichou_ and I did live together, it's true. But we were only friends, just housemates

really. We were both lonely. He had lost his loved one, and I thought I had lost you. If we had been

left to deal with those feelings by ourselves, we might not have been able to cope..." She trailed

off, remembering the early days after she moved in, a few months after Jachin Due. She would often

awaken in the middle of the night, sobbing and crying out for Mwu, after dreaming of Strike's sacrifice,

or that he was there with her. Bartfeld had been there for her, reassuring her that while the pain and loss

she felt would never leave her, with time, it would lessen. And he had been right.

"He helped me. He was a friend that helped me through my grief at losing you. But we were only

ever companions, nothing more."

Murrue smiled and laid a hand on Mwu's shoulder.

"Back then, and now more than ever, you are the one I love."

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Only you"

"I can't...I don't...my memories...they...I.." he began.

"I don't trust them...what if they leave me again? What if I have nothing left?"

Murrue's heart melted. So _that_ was what was really bothering him. Mwu was afraid, insecure.

If he had lost his memories, had them taken away, then regained them so quickly, how could

he trust in something so transient? He needed an anchor point, something or someone that would be

there no matter what, whether he remembered or not. He needed _her_. That was why the thought of

her being with Bartfeld had hurt him so much.

Murrue smiled a little. Mwu couldn't bring himself to trust in his memories just yet, and for the previous

two years, her memories were all she had left of him. That was kind of ironic. But until Mwu regained

confidence in himself and his past self, all she could do was be there for him. And she would be.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her, resting his head on her chest. She

smiled softly as she stroked his long blonde hair.

"Don't worry. Your memories are here to stay. And no matter what, I'll be here for you. I love you, and I

won't ever leave you. We can always be together, Mwu."

----------------------------------------------------

(Wow, emo Mwu.

That was SOOOO tough to write! How do you write about a depressed Mwu and still keep it in

character:cries: I got inspiration from this fic from the one MapleRose wrote the other day, called

'Forbidden' (which is awesome, go check it out if you haven't already). She wrote about what Tiger

would think when Mwu came back. I tried writing from the other side, about what Mwu would think

when he found out Murrue-san had been living with Tiger for two years without knowing the truth...

The memory angst...I don't know where that came from :laughs:

Please read and review!)


	6. Kekkon: Marriage

_Two weeks before the wedding_

"No, no, no! This one isn't right either! It makes me look like a meringue!" The angry voice rang out through the shop, causing people to look up in surprise.

"Will you quit complaining and just try it on?" The second voice was exasperated, trying to calm the other.

"No way. I'm not wearing this. It's too fussy!"

"The shop owner said you'd look nice in this dress."

"Oh yeah?" the first voice cried, growing high-pitched in frustration. "Well, then he's an _idiot_!"

The curtain to the changing room was flung aside, and a young woman with auburn hair stormed out and into the street. It was clear that if it wasn't for the scowl twisting her features, she would be very beautiful indeed.

Her companions, three younger girls, did their best to make peace with the shop owner, before following their friend.

"I still can't believe you said something like that, Murrue-san. Those kinds of outbursts aren't like you at all"

Murrue Ramius sighed and sipped her coffee.

"I know, but it's so frustrating! How difficult can buying a wedding dress **be**?" she said.

Miriallia arched an eyebrow. "Much less so if you weren't so picky."

"Miriallia-san, be reasonable. All girls want their wedding dress to be perfect" Lacus said in her soft voice.

"And it's even more difficult when you're so nervous" she went on.

Murrue set down her coffee. "Nervous? Well...yeah, I guess I am."

"Of course. Who wouldn't be? And it was nerves that made you act that way in the bridal shop" put in Miriallia.

"You're getting married in two weeks, Ramius-san. And we still haven't found you a dress yet. Maybe that's part of the reason you're nervous too?" asked little Meyrin.

Murrue groaned. "Don't remind me..."

Murrue pushed open the door to her house, threw the shopping bags on the floor, and collapsed on the sofa.

"Hard day?" asked a cheerful voice. She cracked an eye open and glared at her fiance.

"Very, if you must know. I still haven't found a dress yet."

Mwu sighed. "It's okay, we have a whole fortnight before we get married. You're sure to find something. Cheer up!"

Murrue pouted. "This is all your fault, anyway."

_Three months earlier..._

_"And with this signature;" the broadcaster said in a hushed voice, "the peace treaty between PLANT and the __Orb Union is official!"_

_The two leaders, the Supreme Chairman and Representative Athha, leaned forward and signed the peace treaty._

_The whole room erupted in cheers and shouts._

_Everyone was hugging everyone else, and Murrue grabbed Mwu's arm and shook it excitedly. But Mwu seemed __subdued, quiet._

_"What's the matter? You should be celebrating!" said Murrue._

_Mwu smiled softly. "Come with me a moment..."_

_He pulled her outside onto a balcony. The moon was full in the sky, it's reflection glittering off the sea, __turning the world silver. It was beautiful._

_"Murrue;" Mwu began, drawing her attention to him. "I just wanted to say that I'm so glad we were able to find __each other again. I sure as hell don't deserve someone like you, and the fact that you still love me after all __the pain I put you through makes me the luckiest person alive. You said we can always be together now, right? __So, how about we make that permanent?"_

_He got down on one knee and pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket. Inside was a beautiful gold ring, topped __with a diamond cut in the shape of a heart._

_Murrue couldn't think straight, almost couldn't breathe. Her heart was beating so loudly, she __was she he must be able to hear it. Was he...was this...?_

_Mwu took a deep breath, and looked up at her, long blonde hair __blowing in the slight breeze. "Murrue, I love you, will you marry me?"_

_Murrue gasped, tears streaming down her face. This had to be a dream, she would wake up any second, she __knew it. To make sure, she pinched herself, hard._

_"What are you doing, silly?" he asked._

_"It's not a dream, it's not a dream.." she whispered._

_"I hope not. But if it is, I don't want to wake up without getting an answer. So, what do you say?" said Mwu, laughing._

_"Oh yes...yes, definitely!" Murrue cried, the tears coming even harder now._

_Mwu let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding, and slipped the band onto her left ring finger. __Then he stood up, and, laughing again, picked her up by the waist and swung her round. Murrue giggled happily, __her tears flying into the air, being turned sparkling silver by the moon._

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It **was** my fault." said Mwu laughing.

Murrue smiled up at him, then frowned again.

"Hey, hey" he said, sitting down on the sofa and pulling her close to him. "This is supposed to be a happy time, remember? So why the sad face?"

"I don't know. I just want everything to be perfect..." his fiancee replied quietly.

"Of course you do. That's the kind of person you are. But don't worry, it'll be okay. Besides, as long as we have each other, and we're happy, we'll be fine."

Murrue smiled, this time for real, and looked up at him. "How come you always know the right thing to say?"

Mwu winked and hugged her close. "'Cause I'm special, that's why" He leaned down and kissed her gently.

--------------------------------

_Two weeks before the wedding_

"Oh, I don't believe this! It feels like we walked round the whole city at least twice, and we still haven't found anything!"

Miriallia whispered "Picky" under her breath, before speaking normally.

"It looks like we might have to go back to one of the other shops.."

Murrue looked miserable.

"But it's not fair. I wanted my wedding dress to be perfect, something that I could keep forever. You know, the way every bride wants it to be." She was close to tears, and Lacus put an arm around her, trying to comfort her.

The four trailed back to where Murrue had parked her car that morning, and they had almost reached it when Meyrin suddenly pointed.

"Ramius-san, look at that!"

In the window of a nearby shop was a wedding gown. It was pure white, with a strapless bodice and full, sweeping skirt. It even had elbow-length gloves and a lacy veil to go with it. Murrue's marigold eyes widened.

"It's...it's so beautiful..." She hugged Meyrin. "Thank you so much!"

Miriallia looked up at the shop sign. "Typical. We try every ritzy shop in the city, and you had to find your perfect dress in a charity shop..."

Inside the shop, the quartet heard the story of how the dress belonged to a woman who wasn't able to have children, and so wasn't able to pass the dress on to her daughters as she had so wanted to. So she gave the dress to the shop in the hope that another bride would be able to do what she could not.

Murrue held the dress against her, looking in a mirror.

"Murrue-san, it's like that dress was made for you. I'm sure Fllaga-san will love it too"

Murrue blushed a little at that thought. "But I want to keep it a secret from him until our wedding day. Can I keep this dress at your house, Lacus-san?"

The pink-haired girl smiled. "Of course"

_The night before the wedding_

Murrue looked up at the stars from the front porch. She was spending the night at Lacus' house, since her gown was there, and it was so close to Malchio-sama's chapel, where the wedding would take place.

Mwu had done his best to persuade her not to go, saying that it was only a silly superstition, and what difference did one night make? Murrue hadn't wanted to go either, but she had made her mind up that she would, and refused to back down. With both being equally as stubborn as the other, they had come close to having their first real argument. Luckily, they realised what they were doing.

_She stopped in mid-sentence, and put her arms around him, entwining her fingers in his hair._

_"I'm sorry. I don't want to go either. But it's only one night, and tomorrow we won't have to be apart again"_

_Mwu smiled and hugged her back. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to be so stubborn"_

_She looked up at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart" Then she kissed him, and was gone._

In their house, which felt so empty without her presence, Mwu stood at the window, also looking up at the stars. He knew it was only one night, and that he should be grateful for this chance to enjoy a night of freedom. But he hadn't counted on freedom feeling so, well, _lonely._

"Dammit, I should have asked the guys round..." _I'm not used to being alone anymore._

"Are you lonely, Murrue-san?" came Kira's voice.

"Oh, Kira-kun. No, I'm not lonely. How can I be when there are so many people here?"

Kira smiled and sat down next to her. "It's just something I was told once. About how you can be surrounded by dozens of people, but if the one you want to be with isn't there, you'll be lonely."

Murrue sighed, a sad expression on her face.

"It's so childish of me. It's only one night without him..."

"That doesn't matter" replied Kira. "In fact, I'm sure Mwu-san is lonely too."

---------------------------------------

_The day of the wedding_

Mwu stood at the altar of the little chapel, nervous as hell. His hands were shaking, and he was sweating. It didn't help that for once he was dressed properly, with the collar and sleeves of his Orb dress uniform where they should be.

_Man, it's so hot in here_, he thought, slipping a finger under the band of his cap in an attempt to loosen it. A tiny bead of sweat rolled down his scarred face.

"Mwu-san, calm down. It's going to be okay" came the voice of his best man from beside him. Mwu didn't even acknowledge Kira. He knew the kid meant well, but he was far too fidgety to calm down. All his friends were there, sitting in the pews behind him, and his bride was due to show up any minute.

How could he be calm?

His train of thought was interrupted when the chapel doors opened. Leaning on Andrew Bartfeld's arm was what looked like an angel. Her long white dress trailed out behind her, and her dark auburn hair was piled upon her head underneath a crown of flowers. Murrue drifted down the aisle towards him, drawing gasps of awe from the congregation. Mwu could only stare, sure he had never seen anything or anyone so beautiful in his entire life.

Murrue noticed him staring, and blushed.

As she took her place beside him at the altar, Mwu just kept staring. It was only a gentle reminder from both his bride and Malchio-sama that brought him back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, right" he said, laughing sheepishly.

The ceremony went smoothly enough. Sure, the couple stuttered over their vows a bit, especially at the 'I do' part, but that was to be expected. And the exchanging of rings had several of the girls in the crowd sniffling, especially when Mwu placed the ring on his bride's finger, then lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

Murrue was so happy she could hardly breathe. After Jachin Due, she had never dreamed that she could be so happy again. But life had given her a second chance with the one she loved, and soon they would be joined together for always.

As Malchio-sama finished the ceremony, Mwu lifted the veil from his new wife's face, and drew a finger lovingly down her cheek, before kissing her rather passionately, which made the crowd laugh.

Outside the chapel, everyone threw rice and flower petals at the newly married couple, and Mwu took Murrue by the waist and lifted her high into the air. Laughing and crying at the same time, she threw her bouquet into the waiting mass of people, only for it to be caught by Lacus, who blushed.

"I guess this is where a new life starts, huh?" whispered Mwu, bringing Murrue back down to the ground.

"So they say," she replied. "But I think that all we need do is continue the one we were already living. You know, the one where we stay together forever"

---------------------------------------

( Ta-da! This was so much fun to write!

It was based on a fanart I found ages ago, and which I love.

I probably won't be able to post the link here, but jadzia and lithiumflower know which one I mean.

And about Murrue-san finding her dress in a charity shop, some of the most beautiful wedding

gowns I've ever seen were in charity shops. So there lol

Please read and review! )


	7. Kodomo: Child

( Yay! More fluff:is lost in a sea of fluff: )

Disclaimer: ( checks under bed ) Nope.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Murrue opened her eyes, at first unsure what had woken her up. She blinked owlishly in the half-darkness, then felt the bed shift beneath her. Smiling, she murmured:

"Is it morning already?"

"It is for me" Mwu replied, sitting down on the bed to put his shirt on. "But you have to go back to sleep, okay?"

Murrue sat up slightly and curled her arm around his shoulder.

"Do you really have to go? Can't you stay here with me?"

Mwu sighed. "I wish I could, more than anything. But duty calls, or at least, my commanding officer will, if I don't show up"

He leaned down and nuzzled at her neck, causing her to giggle as his stubble tickled her skin.

"Don't forget to shave before you go" she reminded him, still laughing.

"Will do, sweetheart. I won't be long, promise" He kissed her lightly. "Love you"

Then he was gone.

Murrue leaned back in the bed and closed her eyes. He had told her to get more sleep, and right now, that sounded pretty good. She'd been getting tired more and more easily these days, but that was only to be expected. The effort of carrying a baby to full term played havoc with her due to her slender frame, and she couldn't do as much as she'd be able to do normally. The enforced inactivity frustrated her to no end, especially when Mwu had to do a lot of things for her.

_I can't even go into work like this. They'd take one look at me and send me home again..._

To be honest with herself though, she rather enjoyed being pregnant. Despite the discomfort and frustration her condition brought her, she always felt a little rush of excitement at the thought of the little person growing within her, and she would try and imagine what this child of herself and Mwu might look like.

At first, she had been a little afraid. Would she be able to be a good mother? Being parents was a huge responsibility. Were they up to this?

Mwu had been the one to reassure her, just like always.

_"Relax" _he had said. _"They say the best thing for a kid is for it to have a loving family. Well, we love __each other, and we'll love this baby. So we'll be just fine._"

Murrue grinned to herself in the lightening room, stroking her swollen stomach. Yes, they would be all right, and Mwu would make a wonderful father, being practically a child himself sometimes.

Her smile faded a little. She hated the fact that he had to go to work and leave her alone like this. Normally, it wouldn't bother her, but with their baby due to be born any time, she couldn't help but be a little worried.

_Hormones_, she told herself. _Stop being so silly._

She winced a little as the baby started kicking like mad for no good reason. Looks like the idea ofmore sleep was itself just a dream...

"What's wrong?", Murrue soothed, rubbing her stomach again. "Are you trying to tell me something? I bet you think your mama's lazy, and you're probably right. Time to get up"

She took a shower and got dressed, then went downstairs to fix herself some breakfast. With her increasing size, lately she had taken to wearing sweatpants and baggy T-shirts. She didn't like the shapeless outfits much (she much preferred skirts) but she had to admit, they were comfortable.

Mwu loved it, and would often snuggle up to _her_ on the sofa (rather than the other way around), orjust grab her and pull her into a hug. He said that she was all 'cuddly'. Murrue hadn't been sure whether to feel flattered or insulted.

_Does he think I'm cuddly because of the outfits, the fact that I'm the size of a house, or both?_She shook her head. _I'll never be able to understand the way that man's mind works. Perhaps that's why __I love him so much..._

She took the plate containing her breakfast over to the table, only to drop it as a jolt of pain struck right through her. She leaned on the table gasping for breath, as she tried to ride off the pain.

"Oh, so _that_'s what you were trying to tell me?"

She got over to the phone, and called an ambulance, then called Mwu's mobile phone. Gasping out her situation, she slammed down the phone and sank to her knees as another spasm hit her.

_Please, don't be so impatient. Please wait till your daddy is with me..._

Mwu had been instructing his class in basic tactics. At first, he hadn't liked being an instructor, buthe had warmed to his job because of the genuine desire of these kids to defend their homeland. The peace was shattered when his phone rang. He kept it on all the time because Murrue was so close to having the baby. Picking up the phone, the colour drained from his face when he heard the frantic message.

"Class dismissed!" he yelled, charging out of the room.

Mwu's mind was racing all throughout the long drive to the hospital. Why was it so far away? Why hadn't he stayed home with her today? What if he got there too late?

At the hospital, he parked his car at an oblique angle and rushed to the maternity wing, almost knocking people down. Where was she? As he ran down the white corridor, a voice suddenly stopped him in his tracks.

"All right, Fllaga-san, it'll be okay..."

He pushed open the door and ran straight into a nurse.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Mwu La Fllaga, I'm Murrue's husband. Is she okay?" he asked breathlessly.

The nurse sighed in relief. "I'm so glad you made it. She's been asking for you the whole time. This baby is quite the impatient one, and it won't be long before they make an appearance.."

"Murrue!" he shouted as he ran into the room.

"Where the hell have you _been_!" yelled his wife, throwing a pillow at him.

"I'm sorry, my love, it took a while to get here.."

Sitting down beside her, he took her hand, slipping his other arm behind her back. She was flushedbright red, and her auburn hair was plastered to her head with sweat.

"I'm really sorry. Are you doing okay?" he asked nervously.

Murrue laughed. "Oh sure, I'm doing just fine. This is all your fault, you know,"

Mwu looked surprised. "Is that right? That excuse may have worked when we got married, missy, but there's no way I'm taking all the blame for **this**." He grinned mischievously.

"Remember, it takes two to tango..."

Murrue looked as if she was about to reply, but instead she squeezed her eyes shut and increased her grip on his hand, her toes curling with effort.

When it passed, she looked up at him, trying to say something, but instead she cried out in pain and squeezed his hand again.

"All right, Fllaga-san, one more time..." said the nurse gently.

Mwu shut his eyes, wincing at the increasing pressure on his hand. This was it..

He let go the breath he'd been holding as he heard the high-pitched cry of a baby. Murrue gasped in relief as she sank back against the pillows on the hospital bed. Mwu opened his eyes and softly kissed her sweat-soaked forehead.

Murrue smiled, looking very tired. Then she sat up a little. "Is the baby all right?"

The nurse smiled, bringing over a wrapped bundle. "Just fine. You have a little girl." she said, placing the bundle in Murrue's arms.

She looked down at her new daughter, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. The baby already had a little cap of hair, dark auburn like her own. Murrue could hardly believe that this little one was hers.

"Here Mwu, you hold her too"

Her husband took the baby gingerly, as if afraid that he might break her. His boyish face held such an expression of wonder that it made Murrue smile through her tears.

"She's so beautiful...just like her mother..." he whispered. The feel of the breath on her face made the little girl open her eyes and look at her father. Mwu gasped.

"She has blue eyes...just like me."

He handed the baby back to her mother, and scrubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Mwu, are you crying?"

He didn't answer, just continued to scrub.

Murrue smiled. "So, what do we call her? Why don't you pick a name?"

Mwu was lost for words, honoured beyond belief that she would let him pick a name for their daughter.

What would be a good name? Wait...

His thoughts drifted to an innocent young girl with blonde hair and magenta eyes. He had been so fond of her, but ended up letting her down badly, which filled him with guilt. The least he could do in her memory was to give her little namesake all the happy times and childhood that she herself never got to experience.

"Stellar" he said softly. "Her name is Stellar."

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( Awww! An avalanche of fluff!

I had to try writing this, honestly I did. Hope it's okay!

Thanks to:

a. Jaffa Cakes (win in biscuit form)

b. My friends for their continued support :hugs them:

c. Work for being boring and letting me daydream about this.

Please read and review! )


	8. Shiawase: Happiness

( And more fluff!

:the RNLI comes to rescue Seigi from the sea of fluff: )

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Where am I?

_I don't know._

What can I smell?

_My perfume and shampoo. Also sweat and aftershave._

What can I hear?

_Breathing. My heartbeat, and someone else's._

What can I see?

_My bed, and my room. It's dark, but there is a sliver of light coming from underneath the door._

What can I feel?

_Softness and warmth. It feels like there are arms wrapped around me._

Wait a minute. Arms wrapped around me? Why can I feel that? And why can I hear and smell someone else?

_Because there's someone in my bed with me._

Murrue snapped to full wakefulness in alarm. Why was there someone with her? She twisted around in the mysterious embrace, and came face to face with a sleeping man. A man with long blonde hair and a very handsome face, only marred by a livid scar stretching across his nose and cheekbones.

_Neo Lorrnoke? Why would I...wait._ Realisation hit her suddenly, followed by a surge of pure happiness.

_No, not Neo, Mwu. My Mwu. He came back to me..._

She smiled and laid her head on the pillow beside him. Last night had been wonderful. She remembered that after their reunion in _Archangel_'s hangar bay, she'd had to go back to the bridge. The battle had ended, but there was still the aftermath to take care of, as well as everyone's ceasefire declaration. As a result, it had been several hours before she was able to escape and go off shift. During that time, the bridge crew had been stifling giggles seeing their normally calm and collected Captain so fidgety and impatient.

After she had made her getaway, she'd rushed back down to the hangar and flown straight into his arms.

Hands entwined together, she and Mwu had made their way to the deck where the officers' quarters were located. She had been furtively glancing around the whole time to make sure no-one was watching them, and Mwu had laughed at her.

_"What are you doing that for?"_

_She kept looking around them, blushing. "What if someone sees us?"_

_He just laughed. "Come on, Murrue. Everyone knows about us. Why would it matter if someone saw us?"_

_She looked up at him and sighed. "You're right, but still..."_

_"I know. Since you're so worried about that, let's give them something to _really _talk about"_

_"Mwu! What are you..." Murrue was cut off as he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Her cheeks __flamed red at the thought that someone could come around the corner any second, but __gradually that worry disappeared at the feel of his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck __and kissed him back._

_After their kiss, he grinned boyishly. Reaching the corridor which held the officers quarters, they stopped __outside the closest room, which was her own. She tapped in the code to open the door, then he grabbed __her and pulled her inside, locking the door behind them._

_And after **that**_...Murrue blushed a little, remembering the next part of their reunion, which had left them very tired, but very happy indeed.

Turning her head to the left, she studied the face of her lover as he slept. The scar on Mwu's face had long since ceased to bother her. He was every bit as handsome with it as without it. Besides, she had fallen in love with him because of who he was, not what he looked like. Although, the fact that he was gorgeous didn't hurt a bit...

She reached out and ever so gently began to trace the path of his scar with a finger, trying not to wake him.

Unbeknownst to Murrue, Mwu had been awake for quite a while. He had woken up surprised, much as she did, only to smile as the memories rushed through his mind. He had laid there pretending to be asleep, revelling in the smell of her perfume and the feel of her gentle breath on his face. At the touch of her fingers, he opened his blue eyes, and smiled at her, his heart skipping a beat when she smiled back.

"Good morning, beautiful. Sleep well?" he asked softly

Murrue giggled a little. "Eventually.." she murmured in reply, her cheeks pinking.

"Yeah, well. sorry about that. I probably tired you out. But you seemed to enjoy it"

Mwu's comment made her blush deepen, and he smiled and pulled her further into his embrace.

"I did enjoy it.." she finally whispered.

"Well, now everything's all right again, we can be together as much as you like. Funny thing is, that if I hadn't got my memories back, I was planning to ask you out anyway."

Murrue looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yep. I'd been in love with you for quite a while, but didn't know when I'd be able to tell you. I figured that after the battle, I'd finally be able to let you know. But, as it turned out.."

He sighed happily as she snuggled close to him and laid her head on his shoulder, herdark hair tickling his face.

"That's nice to know" she replied. "By the way, I have to go on shift in about an hour."

Mwu wrapped his arms more firmly around her. "So do I. But that's not for an hour. What _shall_ we do until then?"

He heard her sweet laughter. "I take it, Colonel, that you have some ideas?"

Lifting her head from his shoulder, he brought her face close to his.

"Oh, you know, this, and that..." he whispered, and kissed her. The kiss deepened as she immediately returned it, encircling his neck with her arms, bringing herself even closer.

The two lovers had been reunited at last, and now that the war was over, their life together was about to begin. A life that would be filled with happiness.

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( :grins: Senseless fluff, I know. But it's fun, and nice to read XD.

Thankies to my friends for their continued support, and to all you nice people

who read my babbling that I call 'stories' and give such nice reviews :happy blush:

Please read and review! )


	9. Hitori: Alone

You've probably already guessed by the title, but yes, this is an angsty fic. I tried to add some lightness to it so it's not all 'OMG-Mwu-is-dead-and-I'll-never-see-him-again'. I hope I did okay...

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_"Captain!"_

_"Evade!"_

_"Impossible, there's not enough time!"_

_She'd watched as the positron beam headed straight for _Archangel_'s bridge. She had sat frozen in the face of certain __death, unable to move, unable to do anything. Then, it had happened._

_The damaged Strike, already on it's way back to the ship, had thrown itself in the path of the beam, attempting __to deflect it away from them._

_She'd watched wide-eyed, knowing that there was no way the mobile suit could survive a hit like that._

_The pilot's voice came over the comm, cheerful as always, as though this were no big deal._

_"I knew I could make the impossible...possible!"_

_Then the Strike exploded into a fireball, and vanished._

_She'd sat there in shock for a few moments. This is a nightmare, she'd told herself. He can't die, he promised __he'd come back to me. In a minute, I'll wake up, and he'll be here with me, like always..._

_But as the seconds ticked by, she had realised the awful truth, and an agonising pain began in her chest._

_Tears cascaded down her pale cheeks, and she'd buried her face in her hands. Her cry was one of pain, anger, and__grief._

_"**Mwu!**"_

That had been several hours ago. The battle which had claimed Mwu La Fllaga's life was over, and a ceasefire declared. Most of the crew were celebrating their victory, together with friends and loved ones. But one person was alone. Murrue Ramius floated down _Archangel_'s corridors, mind and heart numb. She had been all over the ship, not knowing where she was going, not knowing what to do with herself. She had even been down to the hangar bay, hoping for some idiotic reason that the last few hours had all been a terrible dream, and he would be there waiting for her, big happy smile on his face, ready to enfold her into a massive hug. But of course, the space where Strike should have been was empty.

_This is worse than before_, Murrue thought. Back when her former lover had died, she had been in the engine room of the ship they served on, helping to keep everything running. She had been so busy, she hadn't had time to worry about what was going on outside. She hadn't known that he had been killed until after the battle. The pain of finding out from one of his fellow pilots had been incredible, a wound that still hadn't healed, even to this day. But she hadn't seen it happen, hadn't seen how he had died. But with Mwu...

She'd watched her beloved die in front of her, trying to protect her and the ship, and there had been no way to save him. She had only been able to watch. As a result, this pain was far worse. It felt like thatwhen Strike had shattered into fragments, it had taken her heart with it.

The auburn-haired captain placed a hand to her chest, feeling the metal chain and coffin-shaped locket that rested beneath her uniform. At least she had something to remind her of her mobile armour pilot. But for Mwu, she had nothing. They hadn't been together long enough for that. No photographs or trinkets, only memories.

If it hadn't been for the lasting impression the boyish blonde pilot had left on the crew and on her, he might as well not have existed. As Murrue floated down the hallway, she stopped outside a particular door.

This was...had been...**his** room.

Without even knowing, her feet had led her down the familiar route to Mwu's quarters. But this time he wouldn't be there to open the door and pull her into his loving embrace. His room was just a room now, empty and silent.

Tapping in the code to open the door, she entered the room...and gasped.

The room felt like _him_, like he was still there. It felt comforting, loving.

_They say a house reflects the personality of the one who lives in it, _she thought. _I guess this is the same._

The room's atmosphere seemed to swirl up around her, as if it was trying to soothe her. Even the scent of the air reminded her of Mwu.

She couldn't take it anymore. Before, on the bridge, there had been a battle going on, and she'd needed to keep it together, to be strong for the sake of her crew. But now, there was no need to keep it in.

Murrue sank to her knees as the door slid shut behind her, and burst into tears. They floated up to surround her in the zero gravity, sparkling in the dim light.

"You idiot!" she sobbed. "Why did you do something like that? Why did you have to be so brave? Why couldn't you have kept your promise?"

"Why did you make me fall in love with you, then leave me all alone?"

Somehow, she found the strength to stand, and made her way over to his bed. Curling up on the covers, she breathed in his scent from the fabric, soaking it with her tears. Memories rushed through her mind, of often waking up in this bed, with him sleeping beside her. Memories of her first visit to this room, painfully shy and nervous.

Thinking about that made Murrue laugh softly in irony. She had been so determined after her former lover died that she would never fall in love with a soldier again. Knowing that she, or they, could be killed at any time in war, it wasn't worth having her heart broken again. But then she had met Mwu.

At first, she hadn't thought much of him. Boyish, loud, and overconfident, he had annoyed her at first. But gradually she had got to know him better, and discovered the kind and generous person underneath the brash exterior. He became her best friend on the ship, then she'd realised that he maybe liked her as more than a friend. She would often catch him staring, or have to scold him for flirting. She'd kept him at arm's length as long as she could, telling herself that he was just a flyboy, that he wasn't her type, that he probably had a girl in every port, _anything_ to quell the heat that spread across her cheeks when she thought of him, or the little jump her heart had started to give when he smiled at her.

_Please, _she had prayed one night, to anyone who would listen. _Don't let this happen. Not again..._

But it had been too late. When he walked away from her at Alaska, it had felt like her heart was being squeezed, the pain was so bad. She had known then that, despite all her best efforts, she had fallen head-over-heels in love with Mwu La Fllaga.

_And look where it's got me_, Murrue thought bitterly. She had been foolish enough to make the same mistake twice, and she had gotten the same result twice, left grief-stricken and alone. She supposed that she should hate Mwu for breaking his promise and leaving her like that, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, however hard she tried. He had been such a wonderful person, so full of happiness, optimism, and love, that it was impossible to hate him.

_They say that everyone in the world has their one special person somewhere, the one person who balances them __and completes them perfectly. Most people never even get to meet them, let alone be with them._

"They also say that you don't realise what you had until it's gone" Murrue mumbled out loud.

"Well, I found that one special person for me, and I didn't know it. Now that I do, it's too late..."

Wrapped in the covers on Mwu's bed, she finally fell asleep, worn out from the battle and her own sadness.

And as she slept, she dreamed of the last night she had spent in this room. The last night she had spent with her lover.

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"Please don't go out there...please..."

Mwu looked at her in surprise, halfway through taking off his uniform trousers. "What are you talking about?" he said, finally kicking off the offending garment. "You know that I have to."

"I'm scared, okay?" replied Murrue, looking down at her hands as she sat on his bed.

"I'm scared that you won't come back..."

Mwu smiled at her. "Don't worry so much. I've always come back before, haven't I?"

He struck a heroic pose in the middle of the room, clearly forgetting that he was clad in just a pair of boxer shorts.

Murrue collaped in a fit of giggles.

"Seriously, though" Mwu said softly, joining her on the bed, and pulling her close to him so they were laid in each other's arms.

"I'll come back because I have _you_ to come back to. And because when this war is over, I'd like for you to come live with me."

Murrue went crimson "L-live with you?" she stuttered, amazed.

"That's right" he replied, stroking her hair.

"W-why would you ask me something like that, when we haven't even been together for very long?"

Mwu pulled her even closer, so that she was looking right at him.

"Because I love you, that's why."

Murrue's heart practically turned a somersault. "You...you do?" she squeaked.

He laughed and kissed her on the cheek "More than anything. Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, suddenly realising she was crying.

"I-I love you, too..." she sobbed. "I never thought I'd be able to tell you. And I'd love to live with you. But now I'm even _more_ scared that...that..."

She was cut off as Mwu kissed her. "Don't worry. For tonight, let's just be concerned with each other, rather than with what might happen, okay?"

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Murrue smiled as she awoke, breathing in the familiar smell of the room. Without opening her eyes, she reached out a hand to caress the one beside her, only for reality to come crashing down when she grasped only empty air.

_That's right. Mwu's gone, and he's never coming back..._

She started to cry again, the pain and loneliness of yesterday coming back in a rush. She was alone again now. But staggering to her feet off the bed, she wiped away the fresh tears. She had gotten used to being alone once, she could do it again. The crew needed their captain, and now that the war was over, it was time to go home.

As she made her way out of the room, her foot caught against an object she had missed yesterday. It was halfway under the bed. A uniform cap. Mwu's cap. Murrue picked it up and hugged it close to herself. Now she did have something besides her memories.

"Goodbye, Mwu" she said to the empty room. "Thank you for being there for me, for loving me and making me happy. Part of my heart went with you when you left, so wherever you are, I'm still with you.

Sleep tight, my love"

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( That wasn't hard to write, but I didn't enjoy writing it.

Tomorrow's story will be happy, so watch out for that.

Thankies for being nice, and please read and review! )


	10. Anniversary

( Hello again! I is back. Thanks for being nice about my angsty chapter. I felt like I should write that, but I hate the idea of Murrue-san being so sad, so I didn't like writing it at all...

But I'm back to writing fluffy lightness, and if you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, it should be a lot of fun for you XD )

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Mwu stood in the light, airy kitchen of his house, making breakfast for his wife. He didn't often get the chance to do this, as Murrue usually woke up earlier than he did, but today he had got up extra-specially early, as this day, as well as the breakfast, was special. This was their first anniversary, one year to the day since he and his beloved Murrue had been married.

The year had been filled with ups and downs, like any other, but somehow, this time the 'ups' had seemed to outnumber the 'downs' for the couple. Mwu smiled to himself. The biggest 'up' of the year had been the birth of their daughter Stellar, three months ago. She was a beautiful little girl, sunny-natured and happy,doted on both by her parents, and the hordes of 'uncles' and 'aunts' who came to visit often.

Mwu had already fed and changed Stellar before she started crying and woke her mother up. Today Murrue deserved a lie-in until he came and surprised her with breakfast. Putting the finishing touches to the tray which held the food, he carried it upstairs.

He had to suppress a laugh as he entered their bedroom. All he could see of Murrue under the expanse of fluffy white duvet was a small hand, and a bit of dark hair. Setting down the tray on the floor beside the bed, Mwu knelt down and peeled the covers back. She was fast asleep still, auburn hair falling across her face. Leaning forward, he gently pressed his lips to hers.

Stirring, Murrue blinked open her marigold eyes, not sure what had woken her until she focused on the face of her husband in front of her.

"Oh, Mwu" she murmured. "'Morning. What time is it?"

"Nine o'clock" he replied with a smile, pushing her hair from her eyes. She looked startled and sat up.

"Oh, oh, I have to..." she began, starting to push the covers back. Mwu shook his head and replaced them.

"You don't have to do _anything_ this morning. I've already sorted the house out, and taken care of the princess. All you need to do is relax and eat your breakfast" he said, setting the tray on her knees.

"Huh? Thank you!" Murrue said softly, looking at the fruit, cereal and yogurt he had brought her. Then she frowned. "But why did you..."

Mwu ruffled her hair. "Why would I need an excuse? But today is special, remember?"

He handed her a velvet box. Murrue still looked baffled, but popped the catch. Then she gasped.

Inside the box was a pendant, an amber stone set in gold.

"It's beautiful!" she said, the colour rising in her cheeks. "But why..."

He slipped a strong arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

"You forgot, didn't you?" he asked with a chuckle. "Happy anniversary, my love."

Murrue almost dropped the box. "I...I.." she stuttered.

"Don't worry, it's okay to forget" Mwu tried to reassure her.

She looked as if she was going to cry. "But you went to all this trouble, and I didn't get you anything!"

"It's okay, really. I have you, don't I? I don't need anything else."

She sniffled a bit. "But still..."

Mwu smiled, his blue eyes shining. "If you really must give me something, then how 'bout a kiss?"

Murrue finally smiled back, the sunshine returning to her face. Wrapping her arms around his neck, (almost upsetting the breakfast tray in the process) she kissed him with all her might.

When they broke for air, Mwu took the pendant from the box, and fastened it around her slender neck.

"There now, it matches your eyes. Will you wear it for me tonight?"

Murrue looked surprised. "Why, what's happening tonight?"

"I've booked us a meal at a fancy hotel restaurant, and a suite in the hotel. For a romantic night out."

Her face lit up. "Oh, Mwu! You didn't have to..." Then the smile faded. "But what about..?"

"Relax. I also booked us the best babysitters in town. The kid and the pink princess have agreed to stop the night and take care of Stellar. Everything will be fine." He kissed her forehead.

"Now, eat your breakfast" he said, pouring her a cup of coffee.

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Later that evening, Murrue stood in front of the bathroom mirror, applying make-up. She wore a simple ivory dress, and the necklace she had recieved that morning glittered at her throat. But despite her serene outer appearance, she was filled with turmoil. It had been so wonderful of Mwu to go to the trouble of booking a night out, and she knew that she should be looking forward to it. But she hated the idea of leaving Stellar, even if it was only for one night. Her little girl was so very little still, and even though Murrue knew how capable Lacus was, she was still worried.

"Are you ready, sweetheart? The kids are here" came her husband's voice from outside. Opening the door, she smiled, hiding her anxiety.

"Yes, I'm ready now" she replied cheerfully, adjusting Mwu's tie (he looked very smart for a change).

"Are you all right?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Oh yes, I'm fine." she lied. "I just want to say goodnight to Stellar."

Walking towards the nursery, she tried to calm herself.

_It's only for one night. And she'll be asleep anyway..._

Pushing open the door, Murrue entered the nursery - and gasped.

Even though Stellar had already been settled down for the night, she wasn't asleep. When the baby girl saw her mother, she waved her little arms and gurgled happily. Murrue's heart broke. How could she leave her?

Sitting down beside the cot, she picked up her daughter and cradled her in her arms, tears running down her face.

"Oh, angel, why are you still awake? Come on, it's time for sleep. Mama is going out, so be a good girl for Auntie Lacus and Uncle Kira, okay?" she whispered.

Mwu stood outside the nursery door, his insides twisting with guilt as he heard Murrue's sobs. How could he do this to her? This was supposed to be a happy night, but if they went out, Murrue wouldn't be able to enjoy it for worrying about Stellar, and he would be upset that she was so sad. Plus, he didn't like the idea of leaving the baby much either...

There was only one thing for it.

"Hey, kids" he said as he went downstairs. "There's been a change of plan. I - uh, we..."

Lacus smiled. "Murrue-san doesn't want to leave Stellar, does she?"

Mwu was amazed. "How did you know?"

"It's natural. If I was in the same position, I would react the same way" replied the pink-haired girl.

"I'm really sorry you came all this way for nothing.." Mwu said, embarrassed.

Kira shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Mwu-san. It's okay."

After she had finally got her little girl to sleep, Murrue walked downstairs, drying her tears on a towel. She had retouched her make-up, so hopefully Mwu wouldn't notice she'd been crying. She was surprised to see that their babysitters were nowhere to be seen. Hadn't Mwu said that they were here?

"Where are Kira-kun and Lacus-san?" she asked her husband, who was busy with the phone.

"The kids? Oh, I sent them home" he replied, finally getting an answer to his call.

"Hello? Yeah. No, it's okay. Yeah, something came up. Sorry"

Ending the call, Mwu dialled another number.

"Hi there. Yeah, it's me. Pepperoni, with a stuffed crust. Twenty minutes?" He looked at his watch.

"That's fast. Awesome. Yeah, thanks."

Putting the phone down, he looked at his wife, who by now was totally confused.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Why did you send them home?"

Mwu smiled and crossed the floor to where Murrue stood.

"I called the hotel and cancelled the reservation. So I sent the kids home because we're staying here tonight instead. Then I called for pizza" he replied with a wink.

"Staying here?" she repeated. "But..."

Mwu took her into his arms, resting his chin on her head.

"Today is supposed to be happy. But you wouldn't be happy leaving Stellar, and if you were unhappy, I would be too. And I didn't like the idea of leaving the little princess anyway. So, we can have our romantic meal here instead."

She looked up at him. "Thank you so much. But Mwu...pizza?"

He laughed. "It'll be fine. Besides, fancy food gives me indigestion."

It may not have been the most conventional anniversary dinner, but neither Murrue nor Mwu felt that they could be happier. They had unearthed a bottle of wine from a cupboard, and shared the pizza. Mwu had shown her his party trick of stuffing a whole slice of pizza into his mouth at once, then given her a quite literally cheesy smile.

Murrue had laughed so hard she had almost choked.

After their meal, they laid in each other's arms on the sofa. Stellar hadn't woken up once, and they were both pretty drowsy and happy. Mwu opened his eyes and checked the clock. It was 11pm.

Murrue was curled up in his arms, eyes closed, and breathing deeply. He couldn't help smiling

Even if they had gone out, they might not have stayed awake long enough to enjoy it. Perhaps next year?

"Murrue? Hey, Murrue, are you asleep?"

"No," she said quietly, not opening her eyes. "Not yet"

"Have you enjoyed today?"

"It's been great" she replied with a smile. "Much better than going out somewhere fancy"

Mwu kissed the top of her head. "Happy anniversary, sweetheart, and here's to many more."

"Agreed" she said. "Love you."

"Love you too. Come on, time for bed, I think."

When they went upstairs, Murrue went to check on Stellar while he got ready for bed.

But when she didn't return after ten minutes had passed, Mwu went to find her.

Walking into the nursery, he grinned, and his heart melted. Murrue was sitting leaning over their daughter's cot, head pillowed on her arm, sound asleep.

Picking her up, Mwu carried his wife into their bedroom, and tucked her in under the duvet. Flicking off the lights, he slid in bed beside her, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Happy anniversary, Murrue" he said again.

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( Oh, I had so much fun writing that! I hope you all like it. I thought of it at work again yesterday, but we were so busy, I didn't have time to write it down, so I had to remember it :laughs:

About Murrue-san crying, I tried to imagine what I would do if I had a baby, and had to go out for the night and leave her. I found that I wouldn't be able to do it, so that's where that part came from.

Please read and review! )


	11. Hana: Flower

(Hi again! It be me. I had this idea yesterday. Inspiration be low on a weekend T T

Lithiumflower, I will write your suggestion, I'm just waiting for an idea to hit me lol)

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As the _Archangel_ entered the port of the moon city Copernicus and began docking procedure, Mwu let out a

sigh of relief. It had been four days since the war ended and the ceasefire declared. During that time, tentative

peace talks had begun. But since Orb's head of state, Representative Athha, had only just arrived in space, the

captains of the Orb ships had been forced to act as mediators.

_Sure, they had the pink princess to help them out, but it still must have been tough on them_, Mwu thought,

stretching out in the captain's chair.

The helmsman, Neumann, turned in his own chair and grinned.

"Bet you'll be glad when the captain gets back, huh Colonel?"

Mwu laughed. "Yeah, being in charge doesn't suit me at all.."

Neumann raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't what I meant..."

Mwu pretended he hadn't heard. But he _would_ be glad when Murrue got back. The Orb captains had

had to stay on PLANT while the peace talks went on, and that included Murrue. And for security purposes,

they'd been kept isolated from their ships and crews. Mwu hadn't been able to see or even talk to Murrue for

at least three days, and he missed her terribly. He hadn't even been able to see her after the talks, as she had

travelled to Copernicus on the _Kusanagi_, which would be taking Cagalli back to PLANT.

_I hope she comes back soon..._

After she had greeted and briefed Cagalli-san, Murrue transferred across to the _Archangel_. As she stood in

the elevator that would take her to the bridge, she sighed. She was absolutely exhausted, so much so she could

barely keep her eyes open. The early starts and late finishes to the negotiations had left everyone wiped out.

Even Lacus-san had collapsed into Kira-kun's arms when she was able to return to the _Eternal_. That had made

Murrue's heart ache. During the talks she had been so busy she hadn't had time to think about the one waiting for

**her**, but after seeing the two teenagers reunited, she'd realised it.

_I miss him so much. I wish I could just collapse into **his** arms when I get to the bridge, but I can't. Not in front_

_of the crew..._

Until this was really truly over, she had to be captain first and foremost, and wait until they were in private

to be reunited with the one she loved.

At that moment, the elevator stopped, and the doors to the bridge hissed open.

The first person she saw was _him._ He had jumped up and spun around when he heard the doors open. The

delighted smile that spread across his handsome face when he saw her made her heart jump. But almost

as suddenly, his smile disappeared, to be replaced by a look of concern.

_If I'm in the same state as the others were last time I saw them, I must look dreadful.._

"Are you all right, Murrue?" Mwu asked, a worried note in his voice.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine..." she replied unconvincingly, seating herself in her chair.

_Oh, sitting down was a bad idea. I'm so tired...But I can't fall asleep here..._

"So, what has the crew been up to while I've been away?" she asked, pinching herself.

Mwu began recounting the crew's activities, but Murrue wasn't really listening. The comforting sound of

his voice was lulling her to sleep.

_This is bad...I can't stay awake...I..._

Mwu finished his summary, only to look down and see that his audience had fallen fast asleep in her chair.

The lines of fatigue and worry had vanished from her face, and she looked angelic.

Leaning down and gently lifting up his captain, Mwu told the rest of the crew to get some rest as well, and

he carried Murrue out and down to her quarters.

As he laid her down on her bed and tucked the covers in around her, she stirred, her marigold eyes

opening slightly.

"Hi..." she murmured, with a soft smile on her face "Missed you..."

"I missed you, too, Murrue" Mwu said, smiling back. "Get some sleep now, okay? You look so tired..."

He turned to leave, but she reached out sleepily and grabbed his hand. "Stay here...please..."

He chuckled. "No problem"

Laying down on the bed beside her, he felt happier than he had in days as she drowsily snuggled

into his arms.

_You win, Murrue. It's not like I wanted to leave anyway..._

If Murrue dreamed at all, she didn't remember any of it. She had been so tired she slept all through the

night and well into late morning. And when she finally did wake up, she felt so warm and comfortable that she

almost fell asleep again. Blinking the feeling back, she lifted her head and looked at the one who held her.

Mwu was wide awake, and he smiled when he saw her, blue eyes shining.

"Morning, sleeping beauty. Feel better?"

"Yes and no" grumbled Murrue. "Being held by you always makes me feel sleepy."

With a saucy grin, he replied "Always?"

That brought a blush to her cheeks. "You...you know what I mean..." she mumbled, looking away.

"But, do you feel better since yesterday?" he asked her.

Murrue nodded. "There were so many early starts and late finishes, I just didn't get much sleep.."

Mwu sighed and held her closer.

"You always push yourself too hard, my love. You really need to relax more. How about a break?"

"You mean, in the bath again?"

He shook his head. "We can take a bath as well, but I was thinking more of us going out into the city

for a while tonight. And this time, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

Murrue's heart started racing. "A-are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. Even though we've been together, _really_ together, for a while now, we've never had

the chance to go out anywhere together. But now, we can. So what do you say?"

She smiled happily and moved up to where she could look right into his eyes.

"I'd love to! Thank you!" She was about to kiss him when she caught sight of the clock.

"Why didn't you tell me I was this late for duty!"

Panicking, she tried to get up, but he wouldn't release her.

"Mwu! Let me go, I'm late!"

"No, you're not;" replied her lover. "I called in a few favours while you were sleeping, and I also talked

real nice to the kid. Neither of us have to be on duty again till tomorrow. Today, you relax. Okay?"

Murrue looked as if she was about to protest, but Mwu pulled her down towards him and captured

her lips in a loving kiss, stroking the back of her neck until all her resistance disappeared.

"There now" he said afterwards. "Still want to work?"

"No fair" she mumbled.

"Well, today is ours. So, how about that bath?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, Mwu and Murrue drove out into Copernicus on their first real date. The city was bustling and

lively. Murrue felt the tension leak from her as she soaked up the atmosphere of the place.

"Nice place, huh?" Mwu asked, taking her hand.

"Very" she sighed, entwining her fingers with his.

"Is it as nice as our bath earlier?"

"N-not quite.." she muttered, blushing. "But we didn't get much _relaxing _done in there, now did we?"

He laughed. "True. So, where do you want to go?"

"Everywhere we can."

'Everywhere' included a street food stall, where they had a bowl of ramen each, an ice-skating rink (where

Mwu fell on his butt more than once), and a kids play park, where they went on the swings, and rode the

roundabout till they felt dizzy.

As they walked through the city, Murrue spotted a park up ahead, lit by bright white lamps.

"Let's go walk in there!"

The park was dark and quiet, but not scary, and the air was perfumed with flowers.

Murrue sniffed the air. "It's dark, so why can I smell that?"

Mwu pointed towards a clearing up ahead. "It's coming from there."

Walking into the clearing, they stopped and stared. It was a garden, complete with ornamental pond,

and the scent was coming from a whole array of night-blooming flowers.

Murrue gasped. "It's wonderful!" she laughed, letting go of Mwu's hand and running into the garden.

She twirled around amidst the blooms, the petals flying in the air around her.

Mwu could only stare at how beautiful she looked. He had never seen her this way in public before.

She only ever showed this side of herself in private, where she could let go of 'Captain Ramius' and just

be Murrue.

"You love flowers, huh?"

She nodded happily, still dancing.

"Well, we'll have to make sure we have a big garden."

Murrue came to a stop and stared at him "What?"

Mwu smiled. "Remember, I asked you two years ago, that when the war was over, if you would come and live

with me. Well it is, and you can. If you still want to."

The colour rose on her face, and her already large eyes grew huge. She ran straight across the garden and into

his arms.

"Really?"

"Of course" Mwu answered. "I was serious then, and I'm serious now. And we can have flowers just like these. That

is, if you..."

"I _do_ want to live with you. I can't think of anything that would make me happier right now" Murrue whispered, a tear

rolling down her cheek.

"Then, it's settled. When we get home, we'll find a house. Our house, with a garden full of flowers."

She looked up at him, her expression one of true happiness.

"I'm not dreaming, am I?"

For an answer, Mwu leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Their kiss was a passionate one, full

of love, and hope for the future, seen only by the stars in the sky, and the flowers who's scent filled the night air.

---------------------------------------------------------

( Awww! I loved writing that. I watched phase 46 of GSD yesterday, and I noticed that Neo-san definitely

asked Murrue-san out on a date. So I wondered, when could they have that date?

:laughs: I hope you all like it! Please read and review! )


	12. Kaze: Cold

"Ugh..." _Why is my neck so stiff? Where the hell did I fall asleep?_

Mwu sat up, the thin blanket that had been covering him falling off the sofa.

_Sofa? I...oh, now I remember. We went to the park, didn't we?_

Looking down, he saw his small daughter curled up beside him. He smiled as he brushed auburn hair out of the little girl's face. _So like her mother._

Mwu tipped his head to one side as he heard rattling in the kitchem. Speaking of her mother...

Getting up off the sofa carefully, so as not to wake Stellar, he made his way into the other room.

Murrue was there, washing up the cups and plates from their picnic yesterday. Mwu grinned and slid his arms around her waist, planting a few kisses on her neck.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Murrue jumped a mile, hands flying out of the soapy water. "Mwu!"

"Heh, sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean to scare you..."

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you're up, I was about to come wake you. You have work soon."

Mwu glanced at the kitchen clock. "You're right. I wish I could have stayed off longer.."

"Me, too," she sighed, reaching behind her to stroke his face. "But you have to go."

He moaned and nuzzled closer into her neck "Don't wanna..."

Murrue flicked him with a wet dishcloth. "Go get ready. Scat!"

Mwu let her go with a last kiss and slouched out of the room, grumbling all the way. If he hadn't been so focused on complaining, he would have noticed that his wife's eyes were brighter than normal, and her cheeks were flushed red...

"I'll see you when I get home, sweetheart. Give the princess a kiss for me, okay?" he said, as he gave Murrue a kiss of her own.

"I will. I'll see you later on."

"Oh, now I come to think of it, what was that secret you were going to tell me yesterday?" he asked.

Murrue smiled. "It can wait till you get home."

Mwu stroked her cheek, then frowned. "Hey, are you all right?" He moved his hand to her forehead.

"You're kinda warm..."

She shook her head. "I'm fine, Mwu. I'm just warm 'cause it's summer, that's all"

He wasn't convinced in the slightest, but gave her a last kiss and went to work.

_She'd better not be sick. I know she's hiding something..._

After the door had closed, Murrue sighed and leaned heavily on the sink. She felt terrible. Her head ached, and her throat was all scratchy. But she had kept it hidden because the last thing she wanted to do was make her husband worry. She hated to see the concerned look enter those blue eyes that were always so full of love and laughter.

Shaking her head, she went to the living room. Stellar was still fast asleep on the sofa, and didn't stir once when her mother lifted her up and took her upstairs.

_She tired herself out yesterday. More sleep won't hurt her._

Settling the little girl down on her and Mwu's bed, Murrue slipped in under the duvet. More sleep wouldn't hurt her either, she reasoned.

----------------------------------------

_Several hours later_

"Mama! Mama, are you okay?"

Murrue opened her marigold eyes with difficulty, then wished she hadn't. The daylight hurt her so much she had to close her eyes again. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool.

"Stellar?" she whispered, wincing at the pain speaking caused. "What time is it?"

"I don't know, I can't tell the time yet. But Mama, are you sick?" replied her daughter.

"No, sweetie, I'm fine." Murrue whispered.

"You're fibbing. You always told me fibbing was bad. You're not fine. Papa says that you always try and hide it when something's the matter."

Murrue couldn't hold back a smile at that one. "Does he really..."

"I'm gonna go call Papa. He'll make you all better." said Stellar, moving to climb off the bed.

"No!" Murrue said, sitting up suddenly, then clutching her head. "Papa will just worry. He's busy at work, and we shouldn't bother him."

"But Mama...you _want_ Papa to be here, don't you?" said the little girl.

Murrue blinked back tears. "Yes honey, I do. But more than anything, I don't want him to be sad."

Stellar cocked her head to one side and frowned, but didn't say anything else.

Murrue rubbed the tears from her eyes and squinted at the clock by the bedside. 1pm?

"Oh, I'm sorry, we missed lunch. I'll go make you something.." She tried to get out of bed and stand up, but the whole world seemed to swim before her, and she collapsed against the pillows. Stellar put her little hand into her mother's.

"It's okay, Mama." she said. "I'm not hungry."

After her mother had fallen back asleep, Stellar tiptoed downstairs. She was very scared, and a little cross.

_Why doesn't Mama want Papa here? He always makes me feel better when I'm sick.._

She pushed her auburn hair back from her face, and looked up at the phone. It was way too high for her to reach, but Stellar had long since learned how to reach things she wasn't meant to. Trotting into the dining room, she picked up a chair and carried it with difficulty to underneath the phone.

Standing on the chair, she tried to remember what Mama had taught her.

"This button, then this one, then this..." _Papa will be able to make Mama all better. He can fix anything..._

Mwu was sitting in his office, enjoying a late lunch, when his mobile phone started ringing.

"Huh? Who could that be at this time?" he wondered aloud, setting down his BLT and picking up the call.

"Hello?" he asked.

"_Papa? Papa, is that you?"_

"Stellar? Why are you calling, princess? Where's Mama?"

_"Mama's sleeping. She told me not to call 'cause you'd be sad. But Papa, Mama's really really sick! She feels __like she's burning! I don't know what to do! Please!"_ The little girl broke down in tears.

Mwu's heart almost stopped beating. Murrue was sick? He knew there had been something wrong with her that morning.

"All right, Stellar. Here's what I want you to do. Get a cloth and soak in in cold water, and put it on

Mama's forehead, okay? I promise, I'll be home as soon as I can."

_"Okay, Papa..."_

Mwu put the phone down, and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. Calling out to the others about the situation, he jumped in his car and made his way home as fast as he could.

_Dammit, Murrue, why do you have to be so stubborn?_

_------------------------------------------_

Murrue's head felt like it was on fire, but her body was freezing cold. She couldn't breathe, couldn't open her eyes, could hardly move. She didn't know where Stellar was, she barely knew where _she_ was.

_Am I going to die? If I am, then I wish I could have seen Mwu one last time. I wish I had let him stay home.._

A thought suddenly occurred to her. If she was going to die, she wasn't afraid. What she was afraid of was the other life being lost. The tiny speck of life she carried within her.

_No, that can't happen! If I'm going to die, then please..._

She opened her eyes and looked around, trying to make sense of the blur, then cried out in terror before the world went black again.

"My baby! Please, help my baby!"

Mwu froze. He had arrived home and rushed upstairs just in time to hear her scream. Her baby?

"Is that your secret, Murrue?" he whispered, sitting on the bed and feeling her forehead. Her skin almost burnt his fingers.

"Her baby? What does she mean, Papa?" asked Stellar, her blue eyes wide with fear.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. But we have to make Mama better. Can you fetch me a bowl of cold water?"

The little girl nodded and ran from the room, only stopping to look back at her mother.

"Mama will be okay, won't she?"

"Of course she will. She just has a fever, that's all." her father replied.

After Stellar had gone downstairs, he sighed. It **was** just a fever, but it was a bad one. If he knew Murrue, and he did, better than anyone, she'd most likely have had this cold for a while, but ignored it.

"Why? Why do you do this to yourself? You say it's so we won't worry, but then you make us worry _more_ because you end up like this...And you have another one to think about now.."

"I'm back, Papa!" came the voice of his daughter, as she carefully placed a bowl full of water on the bedside table. Mwu smiled and ruffled her hair. Then he took the cloth she had used earlier, and, soaking it in the cold water, placed it on his wife's forehead.

"Will that make Mama better, Papa?"

"It sure will, but it might take a while. I have some medicine for her to take later as well."

When Murrue awoke again, she felt much better. Her head still ached, but much less so, and the fire and ice had disappeared. There was a cool cloth on her forehead, and the bed was piled with blankets.

_Did I have a fever?_

Murrue suddenly became aware of a hand holding hers. Turning her head to the side, she saw Mwu looking back at her. His blue eyes were shining with happiness and relief.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed a finger over his lips, and pointed. Stellar was curled up on her other side, sound asleep.

"How come you're here?" Murrue whispered. He just grinned.

"It's nighttime, silly." he whispered back. She looked around. The room was lit by only a lamp, and the world outside was dark.

"How long was I like this?"

"Longer than you should have been. Or would have been, if Stellar hadn't called me. You told her not to, didn't you?"

Murrue closed her eyes "I didn't want you worrying..."

"Idiot. Of course we were going to worry. Because we love you."

She looked back up at him. "I'm so sorry, Mwu"

Her husband smiled gently and stroked her cheek. "It's okay. But there's something else, isn't there? Something you said earlier while you were sick. You're going to have another baby, aren't you?"

Murrue flushed, this time not from sickness. "Y-yeah. When did I...?"

Mwu shook his head. "It doesn't matter when you said it. But now you need to take better care of yourself. For the baby's sake as well as your own."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "All right, my love. Are you happy?"

"Very. All I ever wanted was a happy loving family, people who loved me and I loved back. Since I never thought I would ever have them..."

"Well, now you have. So," she said, sitting up slightly "What would you like? Another girl, or a boy?"

"It doesn't matter, does it?"

"No" Murrue said softly, stroking her stomach "It doesn't matter at all..."

------------------------------------------------------

( There ya go, Lithiumflower! Sorry for making poor Murrue-san suffer so much, but I only did it because I know she has her darn good-lookin' hero to take care of her. :laughs:

Please read and review! )


	13. Himawari: Sunflower

"So, where are we going again?" asked Murrue, looking out of the window at the scenery flashing past the car.

Mwu rolled his eyes. "I already told you, it's a surprise. Wait and see."

"But I hate being left in the dark like this. At least tell me where we're _headed_, please?"

He sighed, and tapped her on the end of her nose. "The more you keep asking, the less likely I am to tell you. And if you even **think** about asking 'are we there yet', you're walking."

Murrue pouted, and looked out of the window again.

"Are you mad?" he asked her. She didn't reply. "How come _you're_ the one acting like a child today?"

"I am not." she muttered.

He just smiled. She didn't often get mad at him, and he thought she was so cute when she was angry, that whatever she said to him just bounced off.

_Anyway, we've not far to go now. I hope she likes it..._

"Hey, we're nearly there now. Can you help me out?"

That got her attention. "In doing what?"

"Kira gave me directions, and I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going. But I need help in finding the actual place. Can you look for a red-brick house on the left-hand side?" She nodded, and looked out of the window, intent on spotting it. After a few minutes...

"There! Is that it?"

Mwu glanced at a photograph he'd pulled out of his pocket. "Yup, that's the one."

Parking the car and getting out, he opened Murrue's door for her. "Shall we go, milady?"

Pinking a little bit, the auburn-haired woman took his hand, and together they walked up the path to the house.

"So, who lives here? Who are we visiting?" she asked, looking around at the house.

"We're not visiting anyone, princess. This is our house."

She looked at him in amazement. "What do you mean, our house?"

Mwu laughed. "I mean, it's _our_ house. Where we can live." Unlocking the door, he pulled her inside.

Murrue gasped as she looked around. The first room was the kitchen, and she could see other rooms leading off it, as well as a staircase just outside the kitchen door. What did Mwu mean, _our house_?

Was this where they were to...to...live together? Her mind whirled.

_Sure, I agreed to live with him after the war, but this is so...sudden.._

She backed off until she hit the door, and looked at the floor, her dark hair hiding her face.

"Hey, are you all right, Murrue?" Mwu asked, concern in his voice. She didn't answer.

"Murrue?" he repeated, kneeling on the floor so he could look right at her. "What's wrong?"

"This...this...is so...I never expected..." she stuttered.

Smiling gently, he stood up and enveloped her in a tight hug. "It's a bit sudden, huh?"

She just nodded, head buried in his shoulder.

"Don't worry. It's going to be okay. I know we've only just got back together again, and moving in together is a big step. But it's not like we have to get married tomorrow, or anything. How 'bout we just take things day by day, one step at a time? Would that be all right?"

Murrue raised her head and looked into his deep blue eyes.

"Okay."

Joining hands again, the couple explored their new house. The ground floor rooms were pretty much as you'd expect, living room, dining room, and so on. As they walked upstairs, a sudden thought came to Murrue.

"Who lived in this house before us? And how did we get it?"

Mwu looked thoughtful. "Seems like a family owned it before, but when ZAFT attacked Orb, they decided that it wasn't safe here anymore. As far as I know, they sold up and left for Scandinavia. They didn't even take the furniture.."

"And so, how did we get the place?"

"The kid spotted it. Knowing we couldn't very well camp on the floor of his house much longer, he pointed it out to his sister, and voila!"

Murrue giggled. "Kira-kun picked our house for us?"

As they walked up the stairs, the rooms above came in to view. A bathroom and several bedrooms, including a larger one at the end of a little hall.

"I'm glad Kira-kun thought enough of us to find us a house. But why are there so many bedrooms?"

Mwu grinned. "I saw the info on the house, and I grilled the kid about that. He just kinda mumbled something about him not thinking it would stay just the two of us for very long..."

Murrue's cheeks flamed scarlet, and she hurried down the hall into the biggest room, pulling him along behind her. Mwu smiled, but he was half-daydreaming about a family large enough to fill all these rooms...

_That would be so...and Murrue would make a terrific mother..._

Reaching the biggest bedroom, they stopped and stared in amazement. The room was huge, with a sofa, and a TV, and even it's own bathroom. A flight of steps led up to a little loft where the bed stood. Mwu whistled. "Nice.."

Murrue's face was still red, but she climbed up the little steps and sat on the bed.

"You can see the whole room from here" she called, "But this bed is huge! I'd lose you in it.."

Mwu ran up the steps and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"You could be right. Wanna test that theory?"

Giggling, she pushed him off. "Quit that. We haven't seen everything else yet."

He looked hurt, showing off his best 'puppy-dog cute' expression. "Awww...but there's nothing much else to see..."

"Well, we still need stuff like bedcovers, food..."

He grumbled, but stood up. "Guess you're right. Shall we go shopping then?"

----------------------------------------------------------

After an afternoon shopping in the city, punctuated by lunch and mild bickering over what sort of stuff they should buy, they returned home. Murrue smiled as she looked up at the house. _This is home now. Our home..._

She wondered why the house she had lived in before hadn't been rebuilt, but she was kind of glad that it hadn't. _Too many sad memories, and it was scary in a storm._

As they reached the front door, Mwu suddenly remembered something. Setting down the bags in the kitchen, he grabbed Murrue's hand again and pulled her around the side of the house, down a tiny path.

"Mwu! What are you...where are we going?"

"There's one thing that I wanted to show you more than anything. The one thing that made me decide 'this is where we're going to live'."

She was baffled, but followed him down the path and into...the biggest garden she had ever seen.

_Oh, my...this is amazing..._

The garden was filled with flowers of every kind, and even trees and a little pond. Murrue's marigold eyes grew huge as she looked around her.

"Isn't it great? When the kid asked me what kind of house we wanted, all I said was that 'it had to have an awesome garden, because Murrue loves flowers'. That's what we decided, right? On our date?"

Tears came to her eyes, and she hugged him so tightly she almost cut off his breathing.

"Thank you..." she whispered, so happy she could barely speak.

As the couple took their time wandering around the garden, they spotted something by the far wall.

A pair of yellow flowers, one a little taller than the other. Murrue frowned and walked towards them.

"Sunflowers? But they..."

Mwu was confused. Sunflowers? What about them?

She touched the petals of one of the flowers, then looked at them both.

"They're not tied to a stake or anything, shouldn't they have fallen over? It's like...wait. Look!"

The two flowers weren't tied to anything to keep them upright, but they were still standing. Their leaves had curled around each other, and they were supporting each other.

Mwu grinned. He understood. These flowers didn't need anything else to help them, because...

"They're okay because they're together, see? They don't need extra support, because they have each other. Kind of like us. We're gonna be just fine, because we can depend on each other and support each other, just like the sunflowers"

Murrue looked up at him, a wide smile on her face. "Yeah, you're right..." Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him gently, as the flowers waved in the light breeze.

That night, they lay in bed together, talking about all that had happened that day.

"Do you think we'll be all right living together?" Murrue asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, " he replied. "I think we'll be fine. I can't imagine anything better than coming home after a long day knowing that the one I love will be waiting when I get there."

She laughed. "What if you get home first?"

"Then the same applies to you, surely?"

She nodded silently, turning to face him. "What will happen now?"

"That's for the future. But whatever happens, we'll be together to see it happen" Mwu replied, putting an arm around her.

"Hey" he suddenly realised. "You didn't lose me in this bed after all"

Murrue blushed. "And?"

"Well," he said, grinning. "This is a new bed. How about we test it to make sure it works?"

She didn't answer, just kissed him passionately.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

( Meh, it didn't turn out as good as I'd hoped. At least, I don't think it did...

I know sunflowers can't really do that, but allow me the poetic licence T T

Read and review, please, then I can find out if it sucked or not...)


	14. Totsuzen: Suddenly

Murrue Ramius was remembering Alaska. She remembered the noise and confusion, remembered seeing the ships around the _Archangel_ being destroyed one by one. She also remembered the anger and betrayal they had all felt at the news that the Earth Alliance had used them as bait and left them to die.

_If it hadn't been for Kira-kun and Commander La Fllaga, we wouldn't have made it out..._

Alone on the bridge, staring out at the Morgenroete docks, Murrue allowed herself a small smile at the thought of the Commander. He had been transferred, but he came back for them. Words hadn't been able to describe the emotion she had felt at his return, especially as she had thought she would never see him again...

------------------------------------------------------------

JOSH-A, Alaska.

"Thank you so much for all you've done for us" Murrue said in a shaky voice, having real problems keeping the tears from her eyes in front of her crew. She was struggling with her emotions, battling them back as she saluted the one standing before her.

_Why am I feeling like this? What am I missing?_

Commander La Fllaga returned the salute, for once serious, the laughing twinkle gone from his blue eyes.

"And the same to you" he replied softly. The two of them stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Murrue knew he, more than anyone, would be able to see her tears, but she no longer cared. All she wished for in that moment was the power to countermand Sutherland's orders, to keep the Commander by her side and never let him go.

But, ending the salute, and bidding farewell to Sai and Miriallia, he turned and walked off the ship. Murrue wanted to reach out, to pull him back, but she stayed where she was, arms by her side, a terrible pain beginning in her chest as she watched him walk away from her.

When he was no longer in sight, she turned and walked off herself, outwardly calm in front of the crew. But once they couldn't see her, she fled to her room. Inside, where no-one would be able to see her weakness, she laid down on her bed and just cried, the tears running down her cheeks and soaking the covers.

_Why? Why do I feel like this because he's gone? What makes him so special?_

Special? Yes, that was it. He was special. He was handsome, kind, and funny. Sure, he wasn't perfect. (Who was?) But to Murrue, who had deliberately closed her heart after the death of her former lover, the Commander had been like sunlight after a storm, or rain in the desert. And the pain in her chest as she had watched him leave...it had been her heart breaking.

_I...I love him..._ she realised, her tears coming harder. _Even though he's another mobile armour __pilot, I love him. And I let him go..._ The thought that she would more than likely never see him again made the pain in her heart worse, and she cried for a long long time.

-------------------------------------------------------

_But I did see him again. He came back. To save us all._

That thought made Murrue smile again, but the smile faded quickly. _Yes, he did come back. But __he came back for everyone. Some selfish part of me wants to believe he came back for me, but __I know that isn't true. And now, we have to fight again so soon, this time against our former allies._

_What should I do?_

These thoughts swirled around in her mind, filling her with anxiety, and she sighed, looking out of the window again.

"You know, the captain shouldn't be looking so depressed" came a cheerfully familiar voice. Murrue was startled by the abrupt breaking of the silence. "Huh?"

Commander La Fllaga walked up and joined her at the window, a smile on his boyish face. The smile made her heart jump, and she quickly looked away as he continued.

"In the end, only eleven people left the ship. That's incredible. JOSH-A must have really pissed 'em off.."

Murrue had been wanting to ask the Commander something ever since his return to the ship. Even though she knew she'd most likely end up disappointed, she had to know the real reason he came back. There had never been enough time since the battle, with their flight to Orb and everything else. Now was perfect.

"Commander" she began, drawing his attention. "There's something I wanted to ask you about JOSH-A. Why did you come back?"

"Eh?" he asked, surprised. Then he slumped, sighing. "How can you still ask me something like that?"

Crossing the short distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her waist, causing her to look around in shock, her hands lifting up, as she didn't know where to put them. Before Murrue had time to form a protest, the Commander leaned forward and kissed her.

Her marigold eyes opened wide in amazement. _What in the...what is he doing? _Her heart was pounding so loud she was convinced he must be able to hear it. Did this mean **she** was the reason he had come back, as she had hoped? That thought made her heart beat even faster. But wait. They were on the bridge...anyone could come in and see them!

_This is bad. I have to...have to... _But rational thought was being swept away rapidly by the feel of his lips on hers. Murrue knew she should break away, or kick him, or something. But despite the orders from her mind, her body acted for her, moving closer to him and resting her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes closed, and she returned his kiss. _This feels wonderful..._

As he felt her kiss back, Mwu experienced a wave of happiness and relief. He'd been so worried that he would upset her, or make her mad. But he had wanted to kiss the Captain so badly and for so long, any pain would be worth it. He'd been in love with her for a long time, almost from the time the ship had landed in the desert. She was so beautiful...

_She kissed me back. Does that mean she feels for me what I feel for her? Could I be that lucky?_

When they broke apart, she looked down, a pretty blush colouring her cheeks. She looked more than slightly flustered, but Mwu thought it was adorable.

"I - I hate...mobile armour pilots" she managed to stutter, and he couldn't keep the grin from his face.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm a mobile suit pilot now..." he replied softly. She looked up at him, still pink-cheeked, and moved her face closer to his. Mwu closed his eyes and bent down, kissing her deeply.

All perception vanished but the feel and taste of her mouth, and the heady scent of her perfume. Slipping a hand behind her head, he deepened the kiss further, twining his fingers in her silky auburn hair.

_I could stay here all day..._

Then the bridge door opened, and the peace was shattered. Neumann, Tonomura and Chandra walked in chatting, only to stop and stare at the sight of their Captain and Commander locked in a passionate embrace. She opened her eyes, saw them, and gasped, the sound coming out muffled. She broke the kiss and pulled away from Mwu, hand to her mouth, before running from the bridge, almost knocking over the three spectators. He tried to call out to her, but no words would come when he opened his mouth.

Running after her, he shot a sardonic "Nice going" at the crew before disappearing into the elevator.

_I can't just let it end here. I have to know how she feels..._

Murrue never stopped running until she reached her quarters, throwing herself on the bed. Her heart was racing, and it wasn't entirely due to her headlong dash. Her lips still tingled from the feeling of the Commander's kiss, and her cheeks were bright pink.

_Why did I let him kiss me? And why did I kiss him back? _She buried her face in the pillow and curled her hands around the bedcover. She already knew the answer.

_I let him kiss me because I wanted it to happen, same reason I kissed him back. And I ran away.._

_Why did they have to show up?_

She snapped out of her daydream when she heard loud knocking on the door.

"Captain? Murrue-san, are you there?" It was him. Her heart skipped. _He came after me?_

Opening the door, she saw him standing there, breathing hard. He seemed to have run all the way after her.

"C-commander, I...I.." Murrue began, twisting her hands together. She tried to look directly at him, but he had suddenly become so much more handsome to her, that she flushed red and looked away.

A thought made it's way through her fuzzy mind. What if someone saw them like this?

Quickly grabbing his arm, she pulled him inside her quarters.

"Sorry, I just...didn't want anyone to see us." she muttered, still not able to look at him.

Nodding his understanding, he started to apologise.

"I'm sorry, Captain, I didn't..."

Murrue shook her head violently, hair flying. "N-no, t-that's not it...I.."

The Commander sighed, running his hand through his short golden hair. "I'm sorry for doing that. For imposing myself on you like that. But I...Look, I'll just come right out and say it. I kissed you because I wanted to, because you're the whole reason I came back to this ship. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I kissed you because I want...to be with you."

Murrue blushed even more at his words, but smiled.

"And I kissed you back for the same reason" she replied softly, finally looking into his eyes.

His face lit up. "Really? You..."

She moved a little closer to him. "I want to be with you, too. But only if you promise to tell no-one that we're starting a relationship. I...don't want the crew to know about it. If you promise, we can finish that kiss that was interrupted on the bridge. This time, no-one can disturb us.."

The Commander - Mwu - smiled and took her into his arms.

"Don't worry, Murrue-san. My lips are sealed. Or at least, they are now" he whispered, kissing her gently.

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( :grins: Yay! Everyone else was doing their own versions of episodes, so I thought I'd have a go at the events in phase 38, and what could have happened next XD.

I didn't even have to rewatch the episode, as I remember the scene off by heart!

Read and review please! )


	15. Hime: Princess

"Okay, sweetie, it's bedtime now.."

"Aww, come on, Mama. I'm not sleepy. Can I have a bedtime story if Papa tells it?"

"All right, I guess. But only if Papa says you can."

Stellar ran into her parents room, where her father was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine.

"Papa? Can you tell me a story?"

Mwu looked up from his magazine. A story? Murrue was much better at telling stories than he was..

"How come you don't want Mama to tell you a story?" he asked. His daughter shook her head.

"Mama's busy with Lily. Besides, you never tell me stories. Please, Papa?"

Mwu sighed, but put down the magazine with a smile. "Okay. Come sit down"

Stellar smiled happily, and climbed on the sofa, and from there onto her father's lap.

Mwu cleared his throat, and began.

"_Once upon a time, in a far-away kingdom..."_

"No, Papa. I love princess stories, but they all sound the same. Can you tell me a different princess story?"

Mwu looked at the six-year-old in surprise. "Different? Different how?"

"Well, the princess always lives in a big castle with a king and queen, and there's always a wicked witch. Wasn't there ever a princess who lived somewhere different?"

Mwu scratched his chin, trying to think. Stellar had a good point, but how could he think up a story like that?

At that moment, Murrue came into the room, carrying the newest addition to their little family. Baby Lily was just two months old, but already had as sunny a temperament as her father and big sister. She had her mother's features and porcelain complexion, but her father's blue eyes and golden hair. She was still awake, and looking around at everyone.

"Mind if we join you?" asked Murrue gently. Stellar beamed. "Yay! Are you and Lily going to listen to Papa's story too?"

"If Papa says it's okay" replied her mother, looking at Mwu.

Mwu reached out a hand and pulled Murrue down to the sofa beside him. "More the merrier"

Looking at his wife, Mwu was suddenly struck by inspiration. A story about a princess that was different, huh?

"_Once upon a time..._"

"Awww, Papa!" wailed Stellar.

"Ssssh. You wanted a fairytale, right? Well, all fairytales have to start with 'once upon a time'. It's law."

"Really?" she asked, blue eyes wide in awe.

"Really and truly. Okay, I'll start again. _Once upon a time, there lived a princess. But this was no ordinary __princess. She was much more beautiful than the princesses in story books, in fact, she was the most __beautiful lady in the whole world. And she was also very brave, because she was a soldier, and even __had her own ship, named after an angel."_

Murrue's cheeks turned scarlet as she realised who the 'princess' in Mwu's story was, but she kept quiet. Stellar was listening, rapt, and even little Lily was looking up at her father.

"_Well, one day, this princess met a prince. He wasn't exactly most people's idea of a prince, because __he was kinda loud and overconfident. And silly sometimes. The princess didn't like him much __at first. But he fought just as hard as he could to protect the angel ship and the people inside it, __and gradually he and the princess became friends."_

"I'm glad they made friends, Papa. But what did the prince look like? You said the princess was the most beautiful in the whole world, but what about the prince? Was he handsome?"

Mwu was embarrassed. **How do I answer that one?**

"Uh...well...he...er..."

A small giggle to his right caused him to turn and look at Murrue. "Yes." she said.

"The prince was _very_ handsome." She blushed a little as she said it.

"How do you know, Mama?"

"I just do, that's all. Don't I, Mwu?"

Stellar looked curiously at her father, who was slightly pink-cheeked, but didn't say anything.

Mwu coughed nervously and continued the story.

"_The prince and princess were were friends now, and fought together side by side. And gradually, __almost without realising it, they fell in love with each other. They realised how they felt when the __prince was sent away from the angel ship. But he came right back again because he couldn't __bear to say goodbye. After that, the prince and princess were together all the time, and for __a while, they were very happy."_

"Hey, can you hold the story for a while? It's way past Lily's bedtime, and I'd better go get her settled down" said Murrue, standing up. The baby was fast asleep in her arms.

"Can I come say goodnight? Oh, and can I go get some milk, Mama?" asked Stellar, scrambling down from Mwu's lap.

"Sure you can. But no cookies, okay? It's too late."

As they walked out of the room, Mwu smiled happily. He and Murrue had been worried at first that Stellar might be jealous of the new baby. But in fact, she adored her little sister.

_I'm so lucky. No fairytale princess could ever compare to my three real ones..._

Murrue came back into the bedroom a few moments later and sat back down on the sofa, snuggling up to her husband.

"I never knew you were such a good storyteller. Although I think you exaggerated the 'princess'' beauty somewhat."

"Nope" Mwu replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her auburn head. "If anything, I played it down"

Before she could protest, Stellar came back into the room, clutching a pink plastic cup full of milk.

"I'm back, Papa!" she announced. "Can you keep telling the story?" She clambered back up onto Mwu's lap, being careful not to spill her drink.

"What did the prince and princess do next?"

"_Well, they were in love, and happy for a time. The prince would go out and fight, but he would always __come back. Until one day, a bad ship came after the angel ship. A very bad man said they'd done __things that they shouldn't. The princess and her friends hadn't really done anything wrong, but the bad __man didn't care._

_He made a big beam shoot out from his ship. The prince knew that if the beam hit the angel ship, it __would disappear. So he jumped in the way of the beam. The last thing he remembered was being __very happy he had saved his beloved princess, even though he couldn't be with her anymore. Then the __prince disappeared in a flash of light."_

Stellar's eyes were as round as saucers. "What happened to the prince, Papa? Was he okay?"

Tears started to form and trickle down her cheeks. "Did he leave the princess all alone?"

A tiny choked sob came from Murrue, and a single tear dripped down her face. The memory of that day when she thought she had lost Mwu was still very painful, even though it had been over nine years since. Her heart still ached when she thought of it.

"Mama? Did Papa's story make you sad too?" Her little girl climbed off Mwu's lap and onto her mother's, hugging her tight. "It's okay, Mama. It's only a story."

"I know, honey. And I think there's more to this story, as well..."

"Is there, Papa? Was the prince okay?" asked Stellar. Mwu nodded, a sad expression on his face. Murrue knew that he hated remembering the next part, as it was painful for him.

"_After that, the princess was very sad. She had her friends with her, but she was very lonely without her prince. __And so, two years passed._

_Then one day, when the angel ship was fighting against some evil soldiers, the princess' friend found an injured __man on the battlefield, and brought him back. It was the prince."_

Stellar's face lit up. "Yay! So the prince was okay? But if he was okay, why didn't he come back to the princess?"

"_It was the prince, but he was very different. He had longer hair, and a big scar across his nose. But the worst __thing was that he didn't remember the angel ship or his friends, and he didn't remember the princess. He thought __he was a prisoner, and she was a stranger to him. And he was very rude to her, and made her cry..."_

He trailed off, still sad at the thought of causing Murrue so much pain. Without Stellar seeing, Murrue reached out and took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. She didn't blame him, it hadn't been his fault.

"Why didn't he remember the princess, Papa? Did that big light do that?" asked the little girl, drinking her milk.

"_The prince had been hurt after the light hit him, and he had some scars. But he had been found by an evil king, who __wanted to use him. So the evil king took away the prince's memories, hid them away so he would never know that he __was meant to be someone else. Then he made the prince fight for him and do bad things._

_Now though, the prince was on the angel ship, even though he didn't remember them. At first, he was angry. __But gradually, he got to know the people on the ship, and he became more friendly. Then one day, the princess __let him go. The angel ship was going to start fighting again, and she didn't want him to get hurt."_

Stellar cuddled into her mother's arms, starting to get a bit sleepy. "But wasn't the princess sad to see him go?"

"Very sad" replied Murrue. "But like Papa says, she didn't want the prince to be hurt again"

"_Well, the prince flew away, but he didn't really want to. He had been getting a funny feeling in his heart whenever __he saw the princess, and he wanted to know why. So he came back. And as he did, he realised that he did know the __angel ship, and the princess, he just wasn't sure how._

_So he stayed with them, becoming part of the crew again, and fighting for them again. Until one day, another ship __shot a beam at the angel ship, just the same as before. The prince by now really cared about the princess, and he __wanted to protect her. So he jumped in the way of the beam again. But this time, he didn't disappear. He remembered __everything, about who he was, and how much he loved the princess. And so, they were able to be together again."_

finished Mwu. Murrue was smiling, with tears in her eyes, still holding onto his hand. Stellar was almost asleep by now, but she smiled and mumbled "I'm glad he remembered. Did the prince marry the princess?"

"He certainly did" replied Murrue, lifting up her little girl. "And now, it's bedtime."

"Okay, Mama. 'Night, Papa"

Mwu grinned. "Goodnight, sweetie."

As Murrue tucked Stellar into bed, the little girl muttered. "Papa never finished the story. Did the prince and princess live happily ever after?"

Murrue kissed her on the cheek. "If they keep going the way they have been, and stay as happy, then they will."

_We will, I'm sure of it. We'll live happily ever after..._

_--------------------------------------------------------_

( That was...a bit longer than I'd intended. But it came out okay, so it's all good.

Please read and review! )


	16. Futsu: Normal

( Hi there! Lol, you're probably sick of seeing me by now. But I have another chapter, and I'll keep writing until I run out of ideas. Today I decided to try writing about what a normal day might be like for Mwu and Murrue-san XD )

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06:30 AM

_I wonder what time it is?_

He didn't much care. He felt warm and happy, and still very sleepy. He knew it was after dawn, as he could see the sun peeking through the curtains, bathing the bedroom in golden light. So it was after dawn. The man knew he should get up, after all, he had work today. But _she_ was still asleep. Wrapped in his arms, her head was nestling on his shoulder, her auburn hair tickling his neck.

_If I get up, I'll disturb her. And she needs the rest more than anyone..._

So, smiling, and pulling the sleeping woman a little closer, he closed his eyes.

07:15 AM

"Mwu, wake up! We'll be late for work!"

He opened one blue eye and looked up. Murrue was standing beside the bed, still looking half-asleep, and her hair was a mess. She looked kinda mad, though.

"Huh, Murrue? What time is it?"

She sighed and pointed to the clock on the little table. "We have to be at work for eight..."

Mwu groaned, and huddled back under the duvet. "Can't we stay here today?"

The next thing he knew, the covers had been pulled completely off the bed. "No, we can't stay here today. Believe me, I'd like to. But we have to go to work!"

Grumbling, he finally sat up and stretched. "I'll go make breakfast" he said, kissing her on the cheek before heading downstairs.

07:30 AM

The shower was at just the right temperature, washing all her tiredness away. Murrue sighed happily, tipping her head back and letting the water soak through her hair. That felt much better.

She smiled a little as she thought of Mwu's behaviour earlier. _I really should be kinder to him when he's so __sleepy. But if I kissed him awake, it would only encourage him. He'd probably pull me back into bed __instead of getting up himself..._

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on the bathroom door. "Hey, Murrue! Breakfast is ready! Hurry up, I need a shower too, remember?"

"In a minute!" she called, squeezing shampoo into her hand. "I need to wash my hair!"

"Murrue, if you don't get out of there, I'm gonna come and get in that shower with you."

She froze, cursing the little leap her heart had made at that thought. "You - you wouldn't dare.." she whispered, immediately regretting the words. _I forgot to lock the door..._

"Oh yeah?" A blast of cool air hit her as the bathroom door opened, and she then felt breath on the back of her neck. "You should know better than to say that to me.."

If there had been someone outside the bathroom, they would have heard squeals of alarm and laughter, as well as a lot of splashing. But after a few moments, if the imaginary observer had pressed their ear to the door, they would have heard sounds of a very different nature...

07:55 AM

"I can't believe you did that. And I still had to eat my breakfast. Now we really are going to be late." Murrue remarked as the car sped through the city.

"Yeah well, you should have gotten out of the shower quicker" replied Mwu unsympathetically. The breeze caused by the car's motion made his long blonde hair blow into his face. "Although," he added with a grin, "it was fun. We should take showers like that more often"

Murrue blushed, and stuck her head out of the open car window to cool off her face. _He's right, it was __fun, and I kinda find myself agreeing with his idea. But I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that..._

08:10 AM, Morgenroete

"What happened, Murrue? You're never late!"

Murrue looked at her feet, thankful that her auburn hair hid her face. "I-I'm sorry, Erica. There...there was..we got caught up in..traffic. It won't happen again, I promise.."

Erica Simmons just raised her eyebrows. "Uh-huh. Sure. Tell Fllaga-san the next time he makes you late for work, he has to answer to me."

Murrue couldn't say anything, just kept staring at the floor, annoyed at how easily her best friend had been able to see through her.

Erica had to hide a smile at the other woman's embarrassment. She understood perfectly well why Murrue had really been late, but she wasn't about to say anything.

10:30 AM, Orb Pilot Academy.

"...And so, if you use the Murasame's wing flaps at just the right moment while in Waverider, you gain height in a matter of seconds."

Mwu was standing in front of his class, indicating various points on a mobile suit diagram. He had great fun instructing student pilots on the best way to use their machines. Even if the average age of his students sometimes made him feel a bit old...

A paper aeroplane flew through the air, spiralling to the floor right by his feet. His expression never changed as he bent and picked up the object.

"Who threw that?"

A small hand rose nervously at the back of the room.

"It was a pretty good effort, but you didn't make it as well as you could have. This is actually just what I needed, as it's far easier to show you what I mean than it is to tell you."

Mwu folded the wings of the plane slightly differently, and sent it flying back to it's creator. It flew much more smoothly, hitting the air currents in the room and sailing as high as the ceiling.

"Wow, that was cool, sensei! Can you show us how to do that?"

He laughed. "Sure I can. But later, okay?"

12:45 PM, Morgenroete

"Hey, Murrue, I'm going to get lunch, you coming?"

Murrue set down her pen and stretched her arms above her head. She and Erica had been working on the maintenance schedule for one of the ships, and they had almost lost track of time. Grabbing her bag, she followed her friend down to the cafeteria.

"What are you getting?" asked Erica, as she bought a sandwich and a pastry. Murrue was digging through her bag, looking for her purse. She stopped when her fingers hit something hard. "Huh?"

It was a box, containing a sandwich, some fruit, and a chocolate bar. "Where...where did...?"

Her friend smiled slyly. "Well well, how romantic. Looks like Fllaga-san made you lunch."

Murrue's cheeks went scarlet. _Did he make this while I was in the shower? He did something like __this for me? _There was a note in the box, underneath the sandwich.

**'Dear Murrue. Since you either forget to eat, or never eat enough at work, I made lunch.**

**Please think of me while you eat, and remember that I love you. Mwu.'**

She turned even redder. _He always thinks of ways to embarrass me. But this really was sweet of him..._

16:00 PM, Orb Pilot Academy

"Hey, where's Fllaga-sensei?"

The students had trooped into class, only to find that their instructor was nowhere to be found. The words 'Study Hall' were scrawled on the board, as if they had been written in a hurry.

"He did it _again_? Isn't it meant to be the students who cut class, rather than the teachers?"

16:30 PM, Morgenroete.

Three junior technicians watched from around a corner, watching the woman work on a ship's engine. She was intent on her work, and never noticed her spectators.

"Isn't she _cool_?" one whispered.

"She's awesome. And gorgeous" replied another.

"I wish I could ask her out..."

"Yeah, like Ramius-san would ever date _you_.."

"Look who's - hey, who's that?"

Murrue had just finished that part of her work, and had put down her wrench to wipe her oily hands on a rag. She never noticed the blonde man sneaking up behind her, until he pounced and grabbed her by the waist.

She shrieked in alarm, twisting around to face her captor. "Mwu! What are you doing here?"

He grinned proudly. "I made it a study hall. I wanted to see you."

Murrue sighed. "You shouldn't do that. You'll get in trouble."

He nuzzled into her, kissing her neck. "Are you mad?" he asked. She tried to pull away. "No, Mwu, not here!"

"Awww, come on. No-one's watching, we're all alone..." He removed his lips from her neck and kissed her mouth instead. Murrue struggled for a moment, then relaxed into the kiss.

The technicians were watching in amazement.

"Lucky jerk. Is he her boyfriend?"

"Looks to be. Who is he, anyway? He looks kinda familiar."

"That's the Hawk of Endymion, he's a really famous pilot. Someone said he and Ramius-san met during the last war.."

The technicians slipped away, grumbling about how pilots got all the best-looking girls.

After their kiss had ended, Mwu sat next to Murrue's tool box. "Can I stay here for a bit?"

"If Erica sees you, you'll get kicked out" she warned, smiling at him.

"Don't care. Besides, if I help you out a bit, you'll be done quicker. Please?" he asked, giving her his cute puppy-dog expression. Murrue sighed, starting her work again.

_He can be so aggravating sometimes. Why do I love him so much?_

18:00 PM

As they drove home, they told each other about their day. Murrue laughed when she heard the tale of the paper aeroplane. "Really, Mwu. You can be even more of a child than your students sometimes.."

He pouted and pretended to be upset. "No fair!"

Giggling again, Murrue turned her head and looked out of the window. They were driving along the sea road, by the beach. The sun was setting over the sea, seeming to set it ablaze. The whole sky was pink, red and violet. "Look!" she gasped. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Seeing how the sun's light sparkled in her marigold eyes, and reflected from her auburn hair, Mwu thought his lover was more beautiful than any sunset. He smiled, and pulled over, parking the car.

"Huh? Why have we stopped?"

"Come on, let's go watch the sun set."

On the beach, Murrue pulled her shoes off, letting her feet sink into the sand. "This feels great!"

She ran towards the sea, dipping her feet into the cooling water. Mwu ran and lifted her up, and made as if to throw her into the waves. "Wanna go for a swim?"

She squealed in laughter, trying to wriggle free "No! Put me down!"

21:45 PM

"So, what's on tonight?" asked Murrue, taking the tea Mwu brought her.

"Some detective movie. It's meant to be really good" he replied, sitting down beside her on the sofa in their room.

"That sounds good." Murrue snuggled up close to him, wrapping her hands around the mug.

The movie **was** good, and they both enjoyed it. But Murrue could feel her eyes growing heavy, and her head nodding. Work had been tough today, and she was really tired..

10:30 PM

"Murrue?" She was curled up beside him, head on his shoulder, fast asleep. "Is the movie that bad?" Mwu asked, chuckling softly. He moved her so she was lying down on the sofa, her head in his lap. He gently stroked her hair.

"Hard day, huh?" He sat and watched the rest of the movie, being careful not to disturb her.

_She looks just like an angel when she's asleep..._

11.45 PM.

Mwu carefully placedMurrueinto bed, pulling the covers back up around her. As he got into bed, he took her into his arms, smiling as she cuddled up to him in her sleep, murmuring happily.

"Good night, Murrue. Sleep tight, my love.."

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( Lol, that ended sappily, didn't it? But who cares :laughs: I thought up a lot of this at work yesterday, as it was kinda quiet (like always...) I hope you guys enjoy it. Please read and review! )


	17. Hanareru: Apart

( This chapter is kinda angsty. It made me wonder: if Murrue-san missed Mwu that much after Seed when they'd only been together a couple of months, what would she be like when they've been together for years and he had to go away for a while?

Oh, and I'm not copying anything from lithiumflower's or Alone In A New Place's fics either. )

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"You asked to see me, sir?" asked Mwu, sticking his head around the door.

"Ah, La Fllaga. Yes, come in" replied the academy principal (and a superior officer). Wondering what this summons was all about, Mwu sidled into the office.

"Sit down, Colonel, sit down". Meekly, Mwu sat, brushing blonde hair out of his face.

"Okay, I'll get right to the point. Some of our older students are being sent on a six-month tour of duty in Scandinavia, sort of an exchange visit. And when they were asked which instructor they'd most like to have accompany them, they all said _you_."

Mwu was baffled. "Me, sir?"

"Yes, you. Since the younger students have other instructors that can cover your classes, we're sending you to Scandinavia."

"Oh." Then a thought occurred to Mwu. "Sir, is it possible to...?"

"Sorry, Colonel, you and the students will be housed in military barracks, you can't take your family with you."

Mwu felt as if he'd been hit by a sledgehammer. _Six months? On the other side of the world? Without Murrue and __the girls?_

"But, sir..." he attempted to protest, but he was interrupted. "No, Colonel, no buts. It's an order. You leave in three days. Plenty of time for farewells, and six months isn't all that long."

Mwu spent the rest of the day in a daze. When he got home and opened the front door, he saw her standing in the kitchen. She was holding Lily in her arms, and her beautiful face lit up in a smile when she saw him.

"Oh, welcome home! Dinner's just about ready, okay?" She frowned as she saw his expression.

"Mwu? What's wrong?"

_How can I answer that? Everything's wrong..._

He opened his mouth, but no words would come out, just a stutter. "I...I..."

The eighteen-month-old Lily waved her arms in the air towards him. "Want to go to Papa."

Murrue smiled at the little girl and took her over to Mwu. Placing Lily in her father's arms, she whispered "You can tell me later, okay?" Nodding, he kissed her on the cheek, smiling when Lily patted his face.

"Papa! You're home!" A small figure darted through the kitchen door and clamped it's arms around his waist.

"Hey, munchkin. Had a good day at school?" asked Mwu, forcing cheerfulness into his voice in front of the children.

"Yup!" beamed Stellar. "We had art class today!"

"Sounds great! Why don't you tell me all about it?" The little family walked into the living room, and sat down, where they began to tell each other what they had done that day.

Later that night, when the children had gone to bed, Murrue turned to her husband.

"Now will you tell me what you couldn't earlier?" He looked up at her with such an expression of pain it made her heart twist. She knew that whatever it was, she wasn't going to like it.

"Murrue, I..." He told her the whole story.

After learning the truth, she turned white. But she didn't let him see.

"Well, this new experience will be good for you!" she said brightly, blinking back the tears in her eyes.

"You'll get to see so many places, meet lots of new people, it'll be fun! I.."

"_Murrue!_" he snapped angrily. She jumped, alarmed at the tone of his voice. He saw her shock, and immediately looked apologetic.  
"Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to yell. But will you please stop pretending to be happy?"

"I...well...I..." The pain she had been trying her best to push down bubbled to the surface, and she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Burying her face in his shoulder, she started to cry.

"Please...isn't there anything you can do?" she sobbed. "I...don't want you to go..."

Mwu held her tight, wanting to cry himself. "I tried, my love, believe me, I tried. But I have no choice.."

That made her cry even harder, and all he could do was hold onto her.

_How can I comfort her when I feel the same way she does?_

If telling Murrue about his looming absence had been hard, telling the children was even worse.

Thankfully, Lily was too little to understand. When she was told Papa was going away for a while, she just nodded and carried on sucking her thumb. But Stellar...

"No, Papa! You can't go away!" His seven-year-old daughter clung tight to him, as if her grasp could somehow prevent him leaving. "If you have to go to this other place, then take us with you!"

Mwu bent down, his heart aching at the sight of the tears in Stellar's blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But the place I'm going is only for soldiers, mama's and little girls can't come."

Stellar shook her head. "Then stop _being _a soldier!" she yelled, breaking away from her father and running to her room.

Murrue bent down next to Mwu and took him in her arms. "Don't worry. She'll understand in a while. I think she's so mad because this means you'll miss her birthday.."

Mwu sat down heavily. "Don't you think I know that?"

_2 days later, Orb Military Airport, Onogoro Island_

Stellar looked pleadingly up at Mwu. "Papa, are you really sure we can't all come with you?"

He sighed. "Yes, sweetie, I'm sure. I'd love for you to all come with me, but you can't. Besides, the place I'm going to is very cold, and you aren't used to that. You might get sick. And you have to take care of your mama and Lily, okay?" The little girl looked down and bit her lip, as if fighting back tears. Then she looked back up at her father with a determined expression, resembling her mother so much Mwu had to smile.

"Okay, Papa. But here" she said, reaching into the little pink satchel she carried. Pulling out a teddy bear with a blue ribbon tied around it's neck, she handed it to Mwu. "Take him with you."

Mwu was surprised. "But isn't he your favourite? Won't you miss him?" Stellar shook her head.

"I have other teddies. And if he's with you, you won't be so lonely."

Mwu smiled at his daughter's generosity. "Thanks, princess" He lifted her up and hugged her tight. "Miss you"

Stellar hugged him back "I'll miss you too, Papa"

Putting her down, Mwu then turned to Murrue. She was holding Lily in her arms, but she set the toddler down (who immediately ran to find her big sister) and walked towards him. She smiled bravely, though tears were brimming in her beautiful marigold eyes.

"Well, I'll see you in six months. You'll write, won't you? And call when you can?"

"All the time" he promised, stroking her cheek.

"Okay." she said softly. "Come on now, you'll be late" Then she gasped. She suddenly remembered saying those words to him at Alaska, the memory as clear as though it had happened yesterday. She hadn't been able to prevent him from leaving then, and she couldn't now.

"Murrue?" Mwu asked, concern in his blue eyes. Looking at the familiar handsome features of her husband, she felt her composure waver, then crumble altogether.

Hugging him as tightly as she could, Murrue burst into tears.

"Please don't go...please...stay with me. You -you said you'd...never leave me again..."

Mwu's heart felt like it was breaking. Holding his wife, he buried his face in her hair, tears of his own disappearing into the wavy auburn. "I'm so sorry...I always seem to break my promises.."

She shook her head, still crying. "It's..it's not your fault...you were made...to go..." Raising her head to look at him, she pulled him into a passionate kiss, which he immediately returned.

"Just...hurry back..okay?" she whispered when they broke.

Giving her one last hug, and kissing Lily, Mwu shouldered his bag and walked away from his family.

Lily turned to Stellar. "Nee-chan, where Papa go?" Her big sister rubbed tears away from her eyes.

"Somewhere far away." The toddler didn't understand. "Lily goes too?"

Stellar gave her a hug. "You can't. None of us can. Not even Mama." Lily started to cry.

"Then Papa doesn't go! Papa comes back!"

Murrue bent and picked up her youngest daughter, kissing her on the cheek.

"Papa _will_ come back, okay? Come on, let's go home."

_Six months will feel like eternity. How will I cope without him?_

1st month in Scandinavia

**Dear Mwu,**

**How are you? I hope you're taking care of yourself and your students. The girls and I are doing just fine, ****and Lily's even started toddler group. She goes with Lacus-san, as she takes her son there, and stays at ****her house afterwards. This means I can go back to work, and I'm glad about that. It keeps me occupied.**

**Stellar got moved up a class at school. She'd read all the books meant for kids her age, and the teachers ****decided to see how she'd do in a higher class. She loves it, and I couldn't be more proud of her. When I said ****I was writing to you, she said I had to tell you. Is it very cold where you are? I remember when _Archangel_ was in ****Scandinavia, it was below freezing a lot of the time. So I made you a scarf. It's not that good, but I hope it ****helps keep you warm. Stellar chose the colour, and she also asks if you can build a snowman and send ****her a picture. She's never seen a real one.**

**Please write back soon, I miss you, Mwu.**

**Make sure you do your best, and remember that we'll be here waiting for you.**

**Love you always,**

**Murrue**

The letter made Mwu smile. It had arrived at the perfect time, as the leaden sky and the snowflakes swirling past his window made him feel rather miserable.

"I always knew Stellar was smart" he said to himself, picking up the bear she had lent him. "She must get that from her mother.."

He unrolled the blue scarf Murrue had made for him. It was rather haphazardly made, full of holes, and wider at one end than the other. But to Mwu, it was perfect.

_How could it be anything but? She made it for me..._

Wrapping the scarf around his neck, he closed his eyes as he inhaled the faint traces of his wife's scent that still clung to the fabric. The smell made him feel as if she was there with him, and eased some of his loneliness.

_I miss them so much..._

2nd month in Scandinavia

**Dear Murrue,**

**Thanks for your latest letter. The guys here are sick and tired of hearing me tell them all about ****the things my family have been up to. But they're all great people, and have become good ****friends. The students are pretty homesick, as this place couldn't be more different than Orb. It's ****huge! I keep getting lost, ending up in the mess hall or the medical wing when I'm supposed to ****be in class or something...**

**Anyway, how are you three doing? I hope you're all keeping well, and you'd better be taking ****care of yourself, you hear me?**

**I enclosed two pictures, one of the snowman Stellar wanted to see, and one a guy took of ****me the other day. I also sent Stellar a present for her birthday. I wish I could be there ****to see her open it. **

**I miss you all. Only four months till I can come home.**

**Love Mwu x**

Murrue finished reading the letter, tears in her eyes. She was keeping her sadness tightly under control, letting no-one see how much pain she was really in, not even the children. Stellar knew there was something not quite right about her mother, but she hadn't said anything, probably because she didn't want to make Lily worry.

Everything around her seemed to remind her of her absent husband. The roses he'd planted in the garden for her, the slightly crooked shelf in the kitchen (that made anything placed on it list to one side), the way he used to steal the cookies meant for the girls..In the daytime, she could ignore how she felt.

But at night, sometimes it got too much for her. She would curl up in the too-empty bed and cry herself to sleep, quietly, so Lily and Stellar wouldn't hear. She hated being so weak, but she missed him so much..

Kissing the photograph he'd sent her, she slipped it and the letter into her pocket, resolving to read it to the girls later.

_Please, _Murrue prayed, _Send him home soon. Send him back to me..._

3rd month in Scandinavia

**Dear Mwu,**

**Thank you so much for the photographs. Stellar loved the one of the snowman wearing your scarf. She took ****it to school and showed all her friends. The other picture - I keep it with me. But it makes me worry. You ****look so thin? Are you eating properly? It's rather ironic that I'm doing my best to look after myself, as I know ****you'd worry, only to see that you're not doing the same. Please, Mwu...**

**Since you don't look to be eating enough, I sent some cookies that the girls and I made the other day, also ****a slice of Stellar's birthday cake. She insisted I send the piece with the most frosting, saying how much ****you loved it. The doll you sent her - she never lets it out of her sight. Lily always wants to play with it ****too since she found out it was from you. I've had to break up quite a few squabbles over it...**

**I've enclosed photographs from the birthday party for you. Please look after yourself and the students.**

**Hurry home soon, okay?**

**Love you always, **

**Murrue**

Mwu leafed through the pictures while eating some of the cookies. They tasted wonderful. He remembered stealing spoonfuls of the mixture whenever she baked, laughing when she'd scold him and threaten him with her wooden spoon.

Coming across a photograph of the three together, he grinned. Lily was eating a slice of cake, unaware of the camera.

Stellar was smiling, clutching the doll he had given her. And Murrue... He gasped.

_I haven't seen her in so long...she's so beautiful. When this is over, I'm never leaving her again._

4th month in Scandinavia

"Hey, Colonel La Fllaga? You got a moment?" came the loud voice of the base's CO.

"What is it, sir?" asked Mwu, stepping into his office. The CO smiled.

"Are you happy here?"

_What kind of dumb question is that? Of course I'm not happy._

"Uh..well...I...uh..." he stuttered, trying to think of the best way to word it.

"You're not, are you? Your students have been to see me. They're worried about you. Apparently you've not been eating much, and you're almost constantly daydreaming."

Mwu looked at the floor. "Sir, I - " The CO didn't look angry though..

"Sounds like a classic case of homesickness to me. I can understand how you feel. I had to leave my own family behind to accept this posting. But still..."

Mwu looked up. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. It won't happen again"

The CO scowled. "I know it won't. I've already sent a message back to your CO in Orb, saying you're unsuitable for this postion, and are being transferred back to your own base."

Mwu didn't understand. _What's he doing that for? Unsuitable? Being transferred...wait._ He looked up in amazement. "Sir?"

The CO smiled. "Go home, Colonel."

It was dark in the house. Murrue was sitting upstairs on the sofa in her room, watching TV with the sound turned down. Stellar was staying over at a friend's house tonight, and Lily was with Lacus-san for the weekend.

Murrue knew that she shouldn't be alone, as her thoughts became deafening. But she needed some time to herself.

Sipping a glass of milk, she frowned when she heard the front door open and close. _Didn't I lock that?_

Footsteps could be heard on the stairs. _Is it a prowler?_ Picking up a heavy ornament, Murrue stepped quietly to the door, ready to defend herself. What she saw made her drop the ornament, leaving it to shatter all over the floor.

"Now that's not a nice way to greet someone, is it?" Mwu put down his bag, eyebrow raised. Murrue just stood there in shock, unable to believe her eyes.

"Am I sleeping? You can't be here...you have two months left..."

Her husband grinned. "They sent me home early"

She walked up to him and touched his face with her fingers, still convinced this must be some sort of wonderful dream.

Mwu smiled and tilted his head to one side, leaning into her hand. "I'm home, Murrue."

She choked, the tears beginning to stream down her face. "Mwu!" Throwing herself into his arms, she held him as tight as she could, as if to reassure herself that he really _wasn't_ a dream.

"You're...you're really here...you're home. You won't ever leave again..will you?"

Mwu bent and kissed her for what seemed like forever, neither of them wanting to let the other go. For the first time in months, they both felt truly happy.

"Don't worry" he whispered, when the kiss finally ended. "I won't ever leave again. Not even if they order me to. You're far more important to me than the military could ever hope to be."

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( That was well sappy XD. Hope you likey! Please read and review! )


	18. Yoru: Night

Murrue stood on the observation deck of the _Archangel_, staring out at the blank walls of Colony Mendel.

Every so often, a technician or another crew member would float past outside the window, but other than that, there was nothing to see. But Murrue didn't really care. Her focus was inward, rather than outward. She just stood, staring at nothing. So lost in thought was she, that she never noticed the man float up from the corridor and stand beside her.

"You know, if you keep staring at the wall long enough, you might bore a hole in it."

Startled, Murrue spun around. Mwu was standing there, a boyish grin appearing on his face at her surprise.

"Commander!"

"What's wrong, Murrue-san?"

She shook her head, auburn hair flying. "Nothing really. Just thinking. Are we really safe here?"

"Safe?" He scratched his chin. "Probably not. But then, we knew they'd come after us eventually."

She looked down at her feet, familiar worried expression coming across her face.

Mwu frowned and took her chin in one hand, lifting her eyes to meet his.

"But don't worry. We've been through worse than this and come out okay. And," he said, pulling her into a hug, "you're not alone in this. You have your friends with you. And you have me."

Murrue smiled softly. "Thank you". Standing on her tiptoes, she placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him lightly.

"Well", said Mwu, taking her hand. "It's late, and we may as well make the most of the time we have before we're found. So, we should get some rest, you especially. May I escort the Captain?"

Murrue giggled, but accepted his offer, and the pair floated off to the elevator.

Outside his quarters, she wished him goodnight. As she turned to go to her own room, she stretched her arms out above her head, wincing as aching muscles protested.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Mwu, looking concerned. She smiled and nodded. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just because I've been sitting in one place for too long."

Opening his door, Mwu stopped, thoughtful expression on his face. Then he grabbed Murrue's hand again, and pulled her inside his room.

"What in the - Commander, what do you think you're doing?" hissed Murrue, trying to ignore her thumping heart and hot face. She pulled her hand from his grasp and backed away until she hit the door.

He acted as though he hadn't heard her, or noticed her panic. Sitting down on his bed, he patted the space beside him.

"Here, come sit down". Murrue stayed where she was, almost rooted to the spot. Looking up, he finally saw how nervous she was, and smiled gently.

"It's okay. Please?"

Gingerly, she walked over and perched on the side of the bed, half-turned away from him. Her heart was still racing.

Mwu turned her face to meet his. "Don't be scared. I'm not going to do anything bad. All I ask is that you take your jacket off."

Blushing furiously, she shrank back, folding her arms across her chest. _Why is he asking me this?_

There was no sign of a joke in his eyes, all she could see was kindness and concern.

"Please, Captain, trust me. I promise it'll be all right."

Still turned away, she slowly removed her uniform jacket. She was still very nervous, and wouldn't look at him. She did trust him though, with her life, and deep down, despite her shyness, knew that he would keep his promise.

When the garment was removed, he took her by the shoulders and sat behind her.

"Now, relax." He gently began to massage her shoulders and back, strong hands working out all the aches and tension she had been feeling, and making her worry and nervousness drain away.

Murrue smiled and breathed out slowly. _If he'd just told me what he was going to do, I wouldn't __have been so scared..._

"There now, do you feel better? How do you expect to get a decent night's sleep if you're all tense like that?" As Mwu spoke, she could feel his breath warm on the back of her neck. It sent shivers down her spine. Without really knowing what she was doing, Murrue leaned back, closer to him, and closed her eyes.

Mwu smiled as she moved closer to him. He really hadn't meant to scare her so much, but if he'd just come right out and asked her, he was sure she would have run away.

Her closeness and warmth made his heart beat faster, and, finishing the massage, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her even nearer.

_She'll probably kick my ass for this. But she's so beautiful..._He breathed in the scent of her auburn hair, wishing they could stay like this forever.

Murrue froze. The massage had ended, so why was he still holding her? And holding her like **that**?

Her earlier nervousness returned with a vengeance.

_Reality check, Murrue. You are alone, in a darkened room, with a handsome man you like a LOT._

_What the hell do I do now?_

Every part of her wanted to stay in his embrace, but something was still stopping her.

_I'm the captain...I can't be here..._

Mwu leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear. "Will you...will you stay here tonight? With me?"

Her heart skipped several beats. _Does he mean..._

"You - you mean...to..are you asking me..." she stammered, not able to finish the sentence. Pulling away from him, she quickly got to her feet, blushing crimson.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Only if you want to. If you want to leave, I won't stop you."

Murrue looked at her feet, fighting with herself. Her rational mind was screaming no, you can't do this, you're the captain, it's against regulations...

But the rest of her disagreed. **Sure it is. But that never stopped you before, did it? And although it ****meant it caused you more pain when he left you, wasn't it worth it?**

**Besides, don't tell me you haven't imagined what this might be like...**

That thought made her blush harder. She _had_ imagined it...

Throwing caution to the wind, she made her decision. Walking towards him, Murrue held out her hand.

Mwu's face lit up. "Really? You're...okay with this?"

She nodded slowly, then looked away. "But...I haven't...not since..."

His expression was one of tenderness. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I promise." Taking her hand, he drew her to himself, and down onto the bed, kissing her softly.

As the hours passed, the silence in the room was punctuated only by gasps, soft cries, and murmured endearments, the stillness of the room only by slow, gentle movements. All was calm, until suddenly, the events of the night reached a crescendo, male and female voices crying out together, blending in a duet of passion. Then, as quickly as the cry had rung out, it ended, silence descending on the room once more.

"Are you okay?" asked Mwu, stroking her hair as she lay beside him, head pillowed on his shoulder.

"Yes" Murrue replied, the expression on her beautiful face one of dreamy happiness. "Thank you."

"I can't make you stop missing the one you were with before" he said quietly. "And I can't make you stop worrying about what might happen in the future. But I'm here for you now, as long as you want me to be."

"Just for tonight?" she asked sleepily, smiling. Mwu smiled back.

_If I could write the future, I'd be here for you forever..._

Kissing his now sleeping lover on the forehead, he whispered "For always"

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( meep :blushes: That was tough to write. I haven't the bottle to write a fully-fledged lemon, and I'm not sure I'd want to. So I made it implied instead. I always kinda wondered how Mwu and Murrue-san got _together_ together, so I had a go at writing it.

Please read and review (and please don't flame me :cries: ) )


	19. Chigau: Different

The sun set slowly, turning the sky hues of red, orange, and yellow. A light breeze chased the clouds across the face of the sun. It was perfect. But one man didn't notice the beauty all around him. His thoughts were not on the setting, but on himself.

_Who am I, really?_

Earlier that day, Neo Lorrnoke had known perfectly well who, and what he was. An officer of the Earth Alliance, currently a prisoner on a ship named _Archangel_. But not long after that, everything had changed.

First he had been released from captivity, then given a fighter jet with which to escape.

He hadn't understood why. If he was a prisoner, then why let him go?

Then, even though he had intended to fly back to his own forces, before he knew it,he found himself turning around, coming back to give assistance to the same ship that had held him captive. How ironic...

_And no matter how much I try to convince myself that it was out of obligation, or pity, I know __it isn't true. I came back because of her..._

As he'd flown away, Neo kept seeing her in his mind's eye. Her face, her soft voice, the tears in her haunting marigold eyes, they all drifted through his thoughts. He didn't know why, but the thought of leaving her gave him a pain in his chest. _Why do I feel like this?_

Sure, she was beautiful. But was that all? It had felt like he was missing something, something important...

So he had flown back. To protect her, for some reason.

_Then I saw something I shouldn't have. I saw her, but in an EA uniform. I was flying __towards the ship. Was it wishful thinking? Or a memory?_

_Am I me, or someone else? Is it because everyone wants me to be this Mwu so badly __that I've started to become him? Or am I really him?_

_If I looked in a mirror, who would I see? Myself, or him?_

All this occupied Neo's thoughts as he stood on the top deck of the _Archangel_, looking into the setting sun. He didn't hear the quiet tapping of someone walking towards him, and was surprised by a gentle voice.

"So, this is where you are."

Murrue smiled as Colonel Lorrnoke swung around in surprise. He hadlooked so lost in thought that she had hated to disturb him. But she had questions. One on particular stood out, but she couldn't come right out and ask him.

_Why did you come back?_

The blonde man turned back to the view. "I have nowhere else to go..."

Murrue walked up to join him at the deck railing, the gentle breeze blowing through her auburn hair. The sky was beautiful, but she knew that he would had a different reason for being here than just that.

"Neo Lorrnoke. Born November 29th, CE 42, Norslva, Atlantic Federation. Blood type, O."

She turned to him in surprise. Why was he telling her this?

"Enlisted, CE 60. Currently Colonel of the 81st Independent Maneuver Squad, also known as Phantom Pain." he continued. Then he sighed and looked down, worry appearing in his bright blue eyes.

"Or at least, I'm supposed to be. But I'm beginning to lose my confidence."

Before Murrue could respond, he turned to her, the last rays of the sun cascading through his golden hair.

"I feel like...I know you..." She gasped. _He what? _Her already large eyes widened at what he had just said to her.

"No, I _do_ know you. My eyes, ears, arms, hands, some part of me knows you" he said softly, looking down again.

_I must be dreaming. Is he saying he remembers me? That he knows who I am?_

"That's why I couldn't fly away..."

Murrue could hardly breathe. Was he saying he had come back because of her? Like Alaska?

_Slow down, Murrue. It's not like he's Mwu yet, even if he does think he knows you._

Stepping back a little, she looked at him with wide eyes.

"I do understand you're in pain. But I'm also in pain." the Colonel whispered. She could understand why.

**To not be sure of who you are...it must hurt.**

"So," he asked, "can I stay here?" He placed his hands on her slim shoulders. "By your side?"

_He wants to stay on the ship? He wants to stay...with me?_

All Murrue could do was nod. Of course she wanted him to stay. Whether it was for his benefit, or for her own wish for him to be her beloved Mwu, she wasn't about to turn him away.

She was expecting him to thank her, smile at her, something like that. What she _wasn't _expecting was for him to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a hug.

His embrace was warm, his strong arms wrapped around her felt just the way she remembered. Even if he wasn't Mwu, for this moment, she could pretend he was, right?

Closing her eyes, she returned the embrace, nuzzling close to him.

Neo smiled, closing his own eyes. Her body was warm and soft, the perfume she wore seeming to swirl around him, easing some of the pain in his heart.

_Whoever or whatever I really am doesn't matter. Even if I become a totally different person, as long as I'm __wherever she is, I'll be fine. More than fine._

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------_

( Lol. I was inspired by a conversation on NSG, about our favourite MXM moments. As you might expect, phase 38 of Seed came first by a long way, but behind that was the 'sunset reunion' scene from phase 43 of GSD. So I wrote a chapter about that, although this story hardly does that scene justice... (come on, how many people squealed like complete fangirls when they saw it? I sure as hell did XD)

Please read and review! )


	20. Imoutou: Little Sister

"Murrue, what are you doing?"  
"I'm getting a vase."  
Murrue stood on a chair, balancing on her tip-toes as she stretched to reach the blue china vase that rested in a high cupboard. She had almost reached it, when a pair of strong hands took her by the waist and lifted her to the floor.  
"Mwu!" she complained. "I could have got it!"  
Her husband raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you could have. But what if you'd slipped and fallen?"  
Murrue pouted. "I wouldn't have. Quit treating me like I'm made of glass"  
Mwu sighed and ran a hand through his long blonde hair. "I will if you stop pulling dumb stunts. The baby's due in a week, and you're still acting like this? I heard from the neighbours that you were up a stepladder trying to clean windows yesterday"  
She didn't look at all concerned. "But they were dirty"  
"That's not the point, and you know it. What if you ended up hurting yourself or the baby?" he replied, placing one hand on her shoulder, and another on her rounded stomach. "If you hate me worrying so much, then don't do stuff to make me worry"  
Murrue looked down, casting her marigold eyes on the floor. "I'm sorry"  
Mwu smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "It's okay, honey. Just be more careful. Now, which vase was it you wanted? The blue one?" 

After he had reached it (easily) Murrue stood in their room, placing the flowers she had picked that morning into the vessel. She sang softly to herself as she worked, making Mwu smile from the new nursery down the hall.  
He was adding the final coat of paint to the walls, a pale cream, since they didn't know whether this new baby would be a boy or a girl. The furniture that had been in the old nursery, the cradle they had used for Stellar, were all in here.  
He felt so lucky. Coming from a family that had either treated him with disdain, or ignored him completely, the fact that he had a life like this now filled him with happiness.  
_I have a wife that is the most beautiful and kind person in the world, an adorable daughter, and now I'm going to be a father again soon. I..._

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp intake of breath, and a splintering crash from their room.  
Mwu's heart stopped for a moment, then, dropping his paintbrush, he raced to find her. "Murrue!"  
She was kneeling on the floor, leaning forward, arms wrapped around her stomach. Shards of broken china littered the carpet around her. Hearing him enter, Murrue looked up at him with a pleading expression.  
"The baby...the baby's coming!" she gasped, then leaned forward again, curling her hands into fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands.  
Lifting her from the ground, Mwu carried his wife downstairs as quickly as he could, and placed her in the car.  
"Hang on, just hang on. I'll get you to the hospital as soon as I can"  
Driving like a maniac, he kept glancing over at her, panicking as her breathing became faster and faster.  
_I hope we make it in time. Looks like this little one is as impatient as their sister was. Thank God I was home this time..._

A couple of hours later, Mwu gazed at the tiny baby lying in their mother's arms. They had another daughter, with wispy blonde curls and eyes as blue as the summer sky. She was perfect.  
Murrue had her eyes closed, and she looked exhausted. Her face was paler than usual, almost white.  
"Are you okay?" he asked, worried. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine"  
Gently, she kissed the top of the sleeping infant's head. "Hello, Lily"  
They had chosen the name for the baby several months earlier, he remembered..

_"So, what shall we call this little one?" Mwu asked, as they sat together on the sofa. She blinked,  
then smiled. "I hadn't really thought about it. If he's a boy...I don't know. We can't name him after your father"  
"Definitely not. There's no way I'd ever consider naming this child after him. What about your father"  
Murrue looked sad. "My father died when I was very small. I barely remember him"  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you"  
She shook her head. "No, it's okay. It was a long time ago now. Perhaps if he's a boy,  
we could name him after one of our friends? But if she's a girl, then I'd like to name her after my mother. Her name was Lily"  
Mwu kissed her, smiling. "That sounds perfect."_

Murrue's eyes were fluttering, and her head was nodding. It was clear she was having real trouble staying awake.  
Mwu reached out and stroked her cheek. "Get some sleep, my love. You need it." he said, taking the baby from her arms. Murrue smiled and reached out to him, pulling him into a kiss. Then she closed her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly.  
He sat there for a while, cradling Lily in his arms while her mother slept.  
_She's adorable. But so tiny, much smaller than Stellar was. And the birth took so much more out of Murrue this time. I know I said I wanted a big family, but if it's going to affect her like this, then I'm happy with just two. I can't put her through this again._

"Excuse me, sir?"  
"Huh? Yes?" Mwu asked, looking up at the nurse.  
"Looking at the blood tests, it seems as though the birth has made your wife slightly anaemic. Not enough to cause concern.." she added hastily, seeing how worried he looked. "but we would like to keep her and the baby in for observation for a couple of days"  
Mwu nodded. "If that's what it takes. I guess I'll have to bring Lily's big sister in to visit when she gets out of school." He smiled at the thought of how excited Stellar would be.  
"How old is your other daughter, sir?"  
"Six" he replied proudly.  
The nurse looked apologetic. "Then I'm sorry, sir, but you can't bring her in here. Newborns are very susceptible to childhood diseases, and while your daughter may not be sick herself, she could be carrying something that the babies would catch"  
Mwu's face fell. _That means I have to keep Stellar at home. She'll be so disappointed. Not only that, but since it's the weekend, and she doesn't have school tomorrow, Murrue will be all alone. I can't leave Stellar by herself, and the kid and the pink princess are out of town..._

Stellar sat on the wall, swinging her legs. School had let out a long time ago, and it was starting to get dark.  
_Mama sure is late. I hope she's okay.  
_Turning her head, the little girl smiled as she saw a familiar car turn the corner.  
"Mama!" she cried, auburn pigtails bobbing as she raced towards the vehicle. But the peron who stepped out wasn't Mama.  
"Papa? How come you came to pick me up? Where's Mama?"  
Her father smiled, but he also looked kinda sad. "Mama's in hospital. But she's okay, and you have a brand-new baby sister"  
Stellar's face lit up. "Can I go see them?"  
"I'm sorry, sweetie. But the doctors say you might have something that would make the babies sick"  
She frowned. "But I'm not sick"  
"I know that. But you might have something that wouldn't make you sick, but hurt the babies."  
Tears brimmed in her blue eyes. "No fair! I wanna see Mama!"  
Her papa picked her up. "Don't cry. Mama will be home in a couple of days, and then you can see your sister too"  
Stellar sniffled a little, but nodded. "Okay, Papa. What's my sister called"  
"Lily. She's named after your grandma"  
"Is she cute?"  
"Very. She looks like you and Mama, but she has hair like mine"  
I_ wish I had blonde hair like Papa,_ thought the little girl. _But Mama is really beautiful, so I'm glad I look like her._

At around 9:30 the first night, the phone rang. Mwu picked it up, wondering who it could be.  
"Hello?"  
"_Good evening_." came a familiar soft voice, but so filled with acid that it made a shiver go down his spine.  
"Uh...hi, sweetheart. Feeling better"  
"_Considering you scribbled some half-assed note and then left me on my own, yeah, I'm just fine_"  
"I - I had no choice. I had to pick Stellar up from school, and she's not allowed to come visit, and...and...I'm sorry"  
Mwu stuttered nervously. Murrue when she was really pissed off was a scarier prospect than the battlefield had ever been.  
"_I know_," she said, a note of loneliness creeping into her voice. "_But it's so lonely here. And some of the other women have their husbands with them, which just makes it worse...Anyway,"_ she said, a more cheerful tone to her voice, "_How's Stellar?_"  
"Oh, she's fine. Looking forward to meeting Lily"  
"_You didn't let her stay up late and eat junk food, did you?_"  
Mwu gulped. Stellar was fast asleep on his lap, cookie crumbs around her mouth. "Uh...no"  
"_Liar. I knew you would. You took advantage of me being away and spoiled her, didn't you?_"  
"She was sad 'cause she missed her mama. Like I do"  
"_Don't try and soft-talk your way out of this one, Mwu. If I were there, I'd kick your ass_"  
"I know" he said, chuckling.  
The two talked for a while more, until the nurse on duty came to tell Murrue that her time was up.  
Having each told the other how much they loved them, they ended the call. That night, Mwu placed Stellar in their bed.

_She can stay here while her mama's away. Because we're both lonely._

Two days after that, Murrue was sitting up in her hospital bed feeding Lily, when the doctor came by.  
"Ah, Fllaga-san, good morning. You'll be pleased to know that your last tests came back clear, so you and the baby can go home today"  
Murrue was delighted. Finally, she and Lily could go home.  
"Is there anyone you'd like us to call to come pick you up?"  
She was about to reply 'my husband', then she saw the time.  
_Only 8am? There's no way Mwu will be awake this early. And it's unfair of me to drag him all the way out here when I can get home just fine on my own..._

Mwu was standing in the kitchen, fixing himself a cup of coffee. _Man, I'm tired_, he thought, his large mouth stretching in a yawn._ I should have finished the nursery earlier...  
_The sound of a key in the door made him look up in surprise. As the door swung open, he could hardly believe his eyes.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
Murrue smiled gently, shifting baby Lily in her arms. "They said I could come home, and I didn't want to wake you. So we came home on the bus." She swayed slightly as she spoke, and Mwu sighed.  
"You idiot." Picking her up as though she weighed no more than a doll, he carried her inside, kicking the door shut.  
Upstairs, he settled Murrue in bed, and placed Lily in her cradle in the new nursery.  
"There now, get some rest. What on Earth persuaded you to..." He was cut off as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, her fingers entwining in his hair.  
"This is why" she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.  
Mwu smiled and returned the embrace. "Yeah, I missed you, too."

When Stellar awoke, she was overjoyed to see her mother.  
"I missed you, Mama! Are you feeling better now?"  
"Yes, sweetie, much better. Did Papa take good care of you?" At her daughter's nod, Murrue smiled.  
"That's good. Lily's in the nursery, if you want to see her"  
Stellar beamed and raced off to meet her new sister.  
From where they sat, Mwu and Murrue smiled as they heard Stellar tell Lily about all the things they could do together when she got bigger, and how much fun they would have.  
Mwu took his wife's hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry"  
She was confused. "For what?"  
"I didn't realise having Lily would take so much out of you. I know I said I wanted a big family, but it's not worth it if it makes you like this"  
Murrue shook her head. "No, don't worry. This happens to new mothers all the time. And you don't want any more children?" she teased. "And here I was thinking that maybe one day we could try and give Stellar and Lily a little brother"  
Mwu laughed, the boyish grin returning to his face.  
"Maybe one day" he agreed, pulling her into a kiss.  
------------------------------------------------------------  
( I wanted to write how Lily was born for ages. But it took me a while to come up with a decent story.  
Hope you likey. Please read and review! )


	21. Yuki: Snow

_It's lovely here. But still..._

It had been Mwu's idea to come here. Since he had discovered that neither he nor Murrue could take more than a couple of days off after their wedding, he'd gone and booked this holiday instead.

_"We'll just have to have our honeymoon before the wedding, that's all!_" he had said, brandishing the brochure.

Murrue had just smiled and let him get on with it. But when she found out where the honeymoon was going to _be_, she had almost gotten angry with him. She couldn't believe he'd booked somewhere like that, and she had refused to talk to him for an hour, or even look at him.

But of course, being Mwu, he had worked his way past her defences, smiling at her and trying to kiss her, until she finally gave in. Her self-imposed hour of silence ended up lasting barely fifteen minutes.

_Is this what it'll be like for the rest of our lives? There must be some way to win against him..._

Mwu had sat down next to her and pointed out all the things that they could do on their holiday. At first, she hadn't wanted to look. But his enthusiasm had made her interested...

It had looked like fun, and Mwu was so looking forward to the trip, bouncing about like a kid on a sugar rush, she didn't have it in her heart to refuse him. When she had finally agreed, he'd grinned happily and wrapped her up in a massive hug.

_I can never say 'no' to him...and now we're on our honeymoon. Before we even get married.._

Murrue turned and looked out of the window. The scenery was beautiful, trees, bright blue sky, little houses...But the ground was covered in snow. Mwu's idea of the perfect honeymoon had brought them to a ski resort. And now he was going to take her skiing. An idea that frankly terrified her.

Murrue was so lost in thought, that she jumped violently when her fiance burst into the room.

"Hey, are you ready to go!"

She turned to him, ready to yell at him for scaring her like that, when she stopped and stared.

Mwu was in a jacket and ski pants, as she had expected. But they were powder blue, and the colour brought out the cobalt of his eyes perfectly. And the ski pants were so tight, they showed off every muscle in his legs...

The combination made Murrue feel dizzy from lack of breath, and her cheeks were bright red. Turning away quickly, she looked out of the window again, trying to calm her racing heart.

_Dammit, how can I be angry at him when he looks so...so..._

Mwu laughed at his fiancee's reaction, knowing exactly why she had looked away. Walking up to her, he bent down and kissed the end of her nose. "You look stunning."

She pouted a little. "I look like I'm in grade school." Her outfit was pale pink, and the jacket was trimmed with fake fur. Mwu thought she looked adorable, and he told her so.

_She's always beautiful, no matter what she's wearing._

"Come on," he said, taking Murrue's hand. "Let's go." She protested, and tried to pull away.

"But Mwu, I can't ski..." He grinned. "I can. We can ski together, okay? I won't make you do it on your own."

As the ski lift reached the top of the mountain, Murrue was conscious of people staring. Both men and women were looking in their direction, and she had more than a sneaking suspicion that they weren't staring at _her_.

Sometimes she hated the fact that Mwu was so handsome. Letting go of his hand, she hid behind him.

Some chalet girls (with blonde hair, perfect skin and very long legs) outside the cafe noticed him, and waved him over.

"Hey there, handsome! Wanna come ski with us?"

Mwu smiled cheerfully. "Sorry girls, I'm spoken for!" he yelled back, pulling Murrue out from behind him.

The chalet girls laughed. "Someone like _you _with a plain little sparrow like _that_?" asked one of them acidly.

Mwu's smile disappeared, and his eyes became hard and cold. "Don't you **ever** talk that way about my fiancee again." he snapped, reaching out for Murrue's hand. But it wasn't there. Looking around, it was if she had just disappeared.

"Looks like your little sparrow flew away" spat one of the girls.

Murrue stood under a pine tree just outside the resort, hugging herself. Normally, she was very strong, and very little fazed her. But the one thing that made her insecure was the fact that Mwu was so attractive. She loved him so much, but she couldn't shake the nagging worry that one day he would find someone else prettier than her...And those girls had been perfect.

"Murrue!" She looked up to see Mwu running towards her. "How come you ran away?"

She couldn't look at him. _I must look so plain compared to them..._

Mwu bent down and cupped her face in his hands. A small tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hey...what's the matter? You're not upset about what those girls said, are you?"

Murrue hiccuped slightly. "They...they're...maybe you'd be better off with someone like that...than..."

Mwu frowned. "What are you saying? That I should leave you and go with one of them? Is that what you want?"

She shrank back. "N-no...but I...they..."

He sighed, seeing how afraid she was. Reaching down, he pulled off the ski glove from her left hand, and raised it up to show her the gold band on her ring finger. "This means that I chose you over everyone and anyone. It means that I love you more than anyone else in the whole world, and I want to marry you. Those girls - they're not perfect. How can they be, when not one of them is you?" Mwu pulled her into a tight hug. "Not one of those perma-tanned valley girls could ever compare to my Murrue."

She blushed, butsmiled and hugged him back, relieved, and a little cross at herself for doubting him. Letting her go, he placed the glove back on her hand, and took that hand in his. "Let's go."

They spent the afternoon skiing, although Murrue didn't ski alone. Mwu promised her that later in the holiday he would teach her to ski by herself, but for today, he had something special planned.

The 'something special' turned out to be tandem skis.

"You go in front, and just enjoy the ride. I'll steer." he said, blue eyes twinkling. Murrue was scared silly.

"But what if you fall?" He just laughed. "Fall? I'm a pro. Watch me. Now, hold onto the poles, and do what I tell you, okay? Here we go!"

He pushed off from the top of the mountain, and they sailed downwards, getting faster and faster.

Murrue screamed and closed her eyes. _I don't want to die!_

"Okay, Murrue, move to the left!" She did as she was told, risking opening one eye.

"Excellent! Now the right!"

When they reached the bottom, he unfastened her feet from the skis. Murrue's legs felt like jelly.

"Don't you ever do that again, Mwu La Fllaga!"

"Why? We didn't crash, did we? Told you I was a pro."

That night, after they had eaten dinner, Mwu brought her some hot chocolate, and they snuggled up together on the sofa in front of the fire. He watched her as she looked into the fireplace, the orange flames reflecting in her marigold eyes.

"Are you all right now? Not worried still?" She smiled ruefully. "I think maybe I always will be a little jealous of other girls. It's your fault for being so handsome."

Mwu kissed the top of her head. "And you tell me you've never noticed other guys looking at you?"

"Huh?"

"Silly. Those valley girls were mad because you were with me, but they were also mad because all the other guys were looking at _you_ rather than _them_."

Murrue blushed. "They were not."

"Sure they were. Because you're beautiful."

Her blush deepened, and she buried her face in the mug of chocolate. He grinned and took the mug from her hands. "Shall I prove to you how much I love you?" he whispered, running his fingers up her arm and cupping her chin in his hands, before kissing her gently.

"Tell you what. Since we won't be able to spend our wedding night here, how about we pretend it's tonight?" he murmured, moving his lips down to her neck.

Murrue gasped. "That...sounds like...a good idea to...me"

Laying her down on the sofa, he kissed her again, this time more passionately.

The snow started to fall outside, flakes flying past the window, but by that time, Mwu and Murrue didn't care.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

( Okay, so I know naff all about skiing. But it was a cute idea. Why I thought Mwu would be a good skier, I don't know. It just...worked.

Murrue-san's insecurity might be a bit OOC, but I'd sure as hell be insecure if I was with someone like him.

Plus, this story made me imagine Mwu in tight ski pants :blush and dreamy sigh:

Please read and review! )


	22. Forgiveness

"Murrue, what are you doing! We're going to be late!"

"Give me a minute!" Murrue pulled at the edges of her Orb uniform jacket, trying to make the two sides meet, but to no avail. It simply didn't fit her anymore.

Mwu finally lost patience and stuck his head around the bedroom door. "Murrue!" Then he just laughed.

"What are you doing?"

She looked up at him with a frustrated expression. "It doesn't fit me anymore..."

"Of course it doesn't. What were you expecting? That uniform was made for someone who _isn't_ six months pregnant. And stubborness won't make it fit you any better..."

Murrue scowled and threw the jacket across the room. "It's not fair! I was able to get the shirt and the skirt on, so why not that?"

Sighing, Mwu walked over and picked up the garment. "Why not just go without it?"

"I can't! There'll be admirals and generals and all sorts there..."

He smiled and wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. "Then go like that. Once they see your condition, I'm sure they'll understand. Besides, I bet the only general there is the kid."

Murrue laughed in spite of her frustration. "Yes, you're probably right. It'll feel strange having to salute Kira-kun."

"Who else will be at this party?" asked Mwu, taking his wife's hand and helping her to her feet.

"I don't know. Sounds like almost everyone. I think I heard Lacus-san say that even the _Minerva_ crew were going."

The party was to celebrate it being a year since the second Bloody Valentine War had ended, a year of peace.

It was being held in Orb's main government building, and attended by all those who had taken part in the proceedings. Due to the uniform problem, Mwu and Murrue had arrived late, and ended up near the back for the speeches.

"I wonder if there'll be any problems?" asked Mwu.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if someone asks for Colonel La Fllaga, which one of us will they mean? Do we double-check who they're looking at or something?"

Murrue giggled. "Probably..."

The room fell silent as Lacus Clyne stepped up to make her speech. Mwu looked around. "Man, it's like she

really is a princess, isn't it?" he asked in a loud stage whisper. People turned around to stare, and Murrue flushed with embarrassment. "Mwu!" she hissed, whacking him with an arm. "Quiet!"

Their exchange had been heard by quite a few of the guests, including one young man with jet-black hair and crimson eyes, who recognised Mwu's voice, and stared at him in anger.

After the speeches had ended, Mwu wandered by the buffet table. His stomach rumbled, and he reached out for a canape, looking at it ruefully. _Why do they always serve these things? You have to eat at least ten of __them before you feel full..._

"Hello, Neo." said a voice from behind him, sounding full of bitterness and anger. Mwu whirled around in amazement. No-one had called him 'Neo' in at least a year. But when he saw who had addressed him, he understood. It was Shinn Asuka.

"Uh...hi, kid." Mwu said nervously.

"So you survived at Berlin. And here I was thinking that you'd been killed. You survived, and Stellar died. You broke your promise and made her fight again." said the boy icily.

Mwu didn't know what to say. He looked at the floor, for once lost for words.

"Uh...well...I..."

Shinn's face twisted in rage, and he ran at Mwu, swinging his arm back to punch him.

"You let her die!" Mwu didn't move out of the way, even though it would have been simple to do so.

_I deserve this..._

All of a sudden, there was a blur to the side, and Murrue jumped in the way.

"Stop!" she yelled. Her tawny eyes fixed on Shinn, she stood between him and Mwu.

"There's no need for this. The war is over!" She closed her eyes, prepared for the impact. But to her surprise, it never came. Opening her eyes cautiously, Murrue saw that Shinn had stopped.

"He...he sent her to die..." he protested, tears in his eyes.

"Maybe he did." she replied. "But will attacking him change anything?"

The young boy lowered his arm to his side, and looked down. "No" he whispered. "But still..."

A girl with magenta hair walked over and took Shinn in her arms, leading him away.

Murrue sighed in relief. She didn't know why the boy had stopped, but she was glad about it.

Her husband took her by the shoulders and steered her outside onto the balcony. Sitting her down on a bench, he knelt in front of her.

"Why did you do that? What if he'd hurt you?"

She looked down. "Because you've suffered enough because of what you did in the Alliance. What would letting that boy hurt you achieve?"

Mwu took her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. "I deserve it. He's right, I did break my promise."

Letting her go, he walked to the edge of the balcony and looked up at the starry sky.

"That kid was so fond of Stellar, and so was I. I promised him that I'd let her live a happy life, that I wouldn't make her fight again. But I did."

Murrue stood up and joined him, taking his arm. "But it wasn't your fault, was it?"

"If I'd refused to send her out at Berlin, Djibril would probably have had the entire crew of my ship killed because I wouldn't follow orders." Mwu laughed bitterly.

"One life against over a hundred. It sounds so noble, doesn't it? But it wasn't _her_ choice, it was mine."

Murrue squeezed his hand. "We're all haunted by that. By the one life we couldn't save, even though we did save so many. It's the same for you, for me, even for Kira-kun."

"How do I live with it, though?"

She smiled. "By remembering that you aren't alone."

Mwu looked down at her, and pulled her into his arms. "What would I do without you?" he asked, resting his chin on her head. Murrue smiled again, but didn't reply, enjoying the warmth and the feel of being held by him.

Shinn was watching, hiding behind the window's curtain. He had been listening.

Mwu released his wife, and grinned, his happy self once again. "I'm going to go get a drink. Would you like anything?"

She patted her swollen stomach. "I'd better stick to fruit juice or water, if they have any."

He nodded, and kissed her gently. "Be back soon."

Murrue sat down on the bench again, enjoying the night air. It wasn't like Mwu to worry so much, but she could understand. _He took care of that girl, and he had to make her fight. It still hurts him.._

The curtains lining the window rustled, and the boy with the angry red eyes stepped out onto the balcony.

Murrue was startled, but forced herself to smile. "Hello."

The boy sat down next to her, and fidgeted nervously. "I...I... was listening..To what you and Neo were saying. Are you...is he...are you two married?"

She nodded. "For just over six months now."

"Why would you marry someone like him? Don't you know what he did?"

"Because I knew him and fell in love with him before he was Neo." she replied. "'Neo' was someone the Earth Alliance invented when they hid away his memories."

The boy - Shinn - blinked. "They did that? That's what they did to Stellar.."

"His name is Mwu. The person you knew as Neo is him, but at the same time, not him. What was Neo like when you knew him?"

Shinn looked thoughtful. "I only met him once. But he was cold, and he didn't smile. Although he did thank me for bringing Stellar back, and she seemed to be happy with him..."

Murrue smiled, and pointed inside. "Is that man the same person you met?"

Shinn looked to the bar, to see Mwu laughing and joking with his friends, trying to make Kira down a tequila slammer in one go.

"No...he's not. Stellar was different too when she had no memories.." He looked down, uncomfortable.

"I guess if I can forgive Yamato..I can forgive _him_, too."

Murrue's face lit up. "That's very kind of you, Shinn-kun."

"I'm sorry I almost hit you back there. I stopped because...the way you spoke..you reminded me of Captain Gladys."

Murrue was about to answer, when Mwu came back outside. "Here you go, sweetheart." he said, handing her a glass of orange juice. "Are you okay out here? It's getting cold."

She smiled. "I'm fine."

He put down his own drink and took off his jacket, draping it around her shoulders. "We don't want you or the little one getting cold now, do we?" he said caringly, kissing her cheek. Managing an awkward smile at Shinn, he picked up his glass and went back inside.

The boy looked down at Murrue's stomach. "You're having a baby?"

"Yes, in about three months time" she replied.

"I hope you'll all be happy. I - he really seems to care for you. I wonder if he felt anything like that for Stellar?"

"I'm sure he did. He told me all about her, about how he thought of her as a little sister."

Shinn smiled a little at that, then stood up and went back inside.

On the drive home, Murrue told her husband all about her conversation with the young man, and how he now forgave Mwu for what he had done. She smiled when his handsome face lit up in happiness.

_That's really all he wanted.._

"Do you think...Stellar forgives me too?" he asked as they arrived home.

"I'm sure she does. Because she loved you, just like I do. And I forgive you for everything." Murrue replied, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. Mwu returned the kiss at once, pulling her across from the passenger seat and onto his lap.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

( A little different from my usual offerings, ne? I thought that if Emo Kid forgave Kira-chan for what happened to Stellar, that he should be able to forgive Mwu.

I may have written Emo Kid a little OOC, but I tried to make him a bit more sympathetic. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm among the 0.001 of GSD fans that actually liked Shinn _before_ he made friends with Kira at the end...

Please read and review! )


	23. Egao: Smile

The captain's office was quiet, the closed door offering a moment of rare solitude from what was happening on the bridge and beyond. Murrue sat slumped forward, head on her desk, deep in thought. In this room, where no-one could see her, she was able to indulge in this moment of weakness.

_I know we have to stop ZAFT attacking Orb. But I don't want to fight them. Especially _Minerva...

But they had come this far, and they couldn't just give up and leave, otherwise they wouldn't have a home to go back to...

"Hey Captain, you okay?"

Looking up, Murrue could see the familiar blonde-haired figure of Neo Lorrnoke peeking around the now-open door.

"Oh, Colonel. Yes, I'm okay, thank you." She wasn't, not really, but she didn't see any point in telling him that.

He didn't leave, though. Instead he walked inside a little way.

"Are you sure? Because you look kinda down. I thought maybe you'd like to talk for a while." He gestured to the two cups he held. "Over coffee?"

Murrue smiled in spite of herself. "That sounds nice. But we're almost at the battlefield. And don't you have to be on launch standby?"

He waved aside her concerns, coming to sit in the chair across from her. "We're not there yet, are we? And Akatsuki will still be there in a little while."

The pair sat together for a while, sipping their drinks and talking to each other. Their conversation wasn't about the upcoming battle, or anything to do with the war, and she was glad about that. She was also glad that he had come to talk to her, and not left her alone with her thoughts like anyone else would have.

_It's like he has some sort of sixth sense. Knowing precisely when I need company, and when I need __to be left alone. Mwu was like that, too..._

Even though it had been only a few weeks since the Colonel became part of her crew, she had come to depend on him so much. He was always there for her, offering coffee and advice, to act as a sounding board for her ideas and questions, or just to sit there in comforting silence when she didn't feel like talking.

When she felt sad or worried, he would give her that irresistible smile, so like Mwu's, that would always cheer her up and make her smile back.

_It's getting so I don't know what I'd do without him. And it scares me..._

Murrue had spent the last two years since Jachin Due rebuilding the wall around her heart, hiding herself away, so that no-one would ever be able to get close. But in just a few weeks, with nothing more than unwavering kindness and a smile that took her breath away, the wall had crumbled.

_I'm falling in love with him. Even though he isn't Mwu, even though I don't want it to happen, I can't stop it._

Neo studied his captain for a few moments. She seemed more worried now that when he had entered the room.

"Are you all right, Captain?"

She looked up, startled, as if she had forgotten he was there. Her auburn hair fell across her face as she looked down again. "Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking is all."

"About what?" If she was still worried, he wanted to know why. He didn't want her to be sad.

She glanced up at him, and smiled a little. The expression didn't quite reach her eyes, but it was a start.

"About how you always seem to be smiling these days, much more so than when you first joined this crew."

Neo blinked. Then laughed. "Do I really?" _When I was on my old ship, even if I had smiled, no-one would __have taken any notice. But here, **she** notices, and so it's all worth it._

She nodded, finally smiling back properly.

"Well, I smile a lot more for several reasons. Firstly, because I'm happy." _Because I get to be by your side all the time._

"Secondly, because it makes **you** smile back." _And your smile lights up the room like sunshine._

"And thirdly," he said, reaching out across the desk and taking her hand, his blue eyes gazing deeply into her marigold ones. "because you're beautiful."

The captain flushed scarlet, trying to pull her hand away. "I - I...Colonel, I..." She looked down, not able to meet his eyes. Neo was concerned. _Did I go too far?_

Letting go of her hand, he stood up. "I'm sorry, Captain, I shouldn't have said that. I have to go now, anyway, before the guys in the hangar think I've gotten lost."

He turned to leave, but she called out to him. "Colonel, wait!"

She stood up and walked around the desk to join him as he turned back to her. Her cheeks were still flushed, but she was smiling again. "Thank you."

"For what?"

Her smile widened. "For making me feel better." Raising up on her tip-toes, she lightly brushed her lips against his cheek. "Good luck, and please be careful."

Neo felt slightly giddy with happiness. Leaning forward, he gently enfolded her in his arms, bringing her close to him. "I will," he whispered. "I have something important I want to tell you, so I _will_ come back.."

Letting her go, he gave her one last smile and left the office.

Murrue stood alone in the room for several minutes after he had gone, her eyes closed, offering a silent prayer.

_Please, keep him safe. Let him come back to me, please don't let history repeat itself..._

Neo floated down the corridors on his way to the hangar bay, the events of a few minutes ago running through his mind. He smiled again, this time to himself.

_I will come back. And when I do, maybe I'll be able to tell her how much I love her..._

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( Nothing but cheesy fluff XD. I got this idea from seeing phase 49 of GSD, where she thinks Neo-san's dead, and she looks like she's going to cry. I thought 'hey, is she in love with him?' I mean, you can tell from phase 46 that Neo-san loves Murrue-san, but I always wondered how **she **felt.

Plus, I remembered a conversation on the forums from October, where people were wondering if she'd come down to the hangar and see him off. I didn't make that happen though, as I doubt Murrue-san would tempt fate like that again...

Please read and review! )


	24. Okasan: Mother

Murrue blinked open her marigold eyes against the morning sunlight. For a moment, she didn't know what had woken her, then the chirping of birdsong drifted through the open window, and made her smile. Judging by the faintness of the light, it was still quite early, an assumption made fact when she turned her head to look at the clock by the bedside.

For some reason, even though it was so early, Murrue didn't want to go back to sleep. So instead she looked around the familiar room, smiling at the little touches they had added since moving in that made it home. But for all the knick-knacks and clothes that were strewn about, the one thing that made this place home for her more than anything else was theperson sleeping beside her.

Mwu's face was half-buried in the pillow, and the rest of his features were hidden by his long golden hair. Very carefully, she reached out and brushed the hair aside, gazing at the face of her husband.

Murrue stifled a giggle. _Husband. That still sounds so strange..._

The two of them had been married for only two months, and they were both still getting used to thinking of the other as 'my husband' or 'my wife'. But with every passing day, they became more comfortable with the idea. Murrue lifted her left arm above the bedcovers, attention focused on the simple gold band on the ring finger, a companion for the diamond engagement ring he had given her. She sighed with happiness, about to snuggle closer to Mwu, then her eyes shot open wide. _Not again!_

Slipping out of bed carefully so as not to wake him, Murrue tiptoed quickly down the stairs and into the bathroom. Where she threw up. This had been happening almost every day for the last few weeks, and it seemed to get worse as the days passed. She didn't have a clue what was wrong with her, but she kept it to herself. _After all, I'm not in any pain._

After the attack had passed, she took a few deep breaths, and then washed her face to hide any signs of what had just happened. Red swollen eyes would definitely give her away.

_I'll go make some coffee. He'll be awake in a little while anyway, and the drink will take the taste from my mouth._

Sure enough, when she came back upstairs with the beverages, Mwu was awake, blue eyes shining. "Good morning, princess" he said with a smile.

Murrue smiled back, feeling much better. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Sure did, especially since it's the weekend" he replied with a laugh. She handed him the cup and got back into bed, snuggling next to him. _If he knew, he would worry. And I want him to always __be like this, to be happy. Because I love him._

"How come you got up so early?" he asked, stroking her dark hair.

"I just couldn't get back to sleep" she replied, not looking at him for fear that he would somehow **know**.

She hated hiding things from him...

Mwu continued to stroke his wife's hair, in part trying to soothe her.

_I know something's wrong, something she's not telling me. I'm getting better at spotting when __she's hiding things.._

That afternoon, Murrue was chopping vegetables for their dinner, while Mwu busied himself in getting the table ready. All of a sudden he heard an intake of breath from her. It sounded like she was in pain.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, coming to check on her. She turned half away from him, hiding her left hand. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? No, it isn't." he replied sceptically, noticing the drops of blood on the chopping board. He tried to pull her arm around to where he could take a look.

"Here, let me see."

"I said it's **nothing**!" she yelled, slamming the knife down and shoving him away.

Mwu was shocked. Murrue never acted like this...what was wrong with her?

The outburst scared Murrue as much as it had Mwu. She couldn't believe she'd just done that.

Pulling away from her husband, she ran upstairs.

In their room, she threw herself on their bed, burying her face in the fluffy duvet.

_Why did I do that to him? He was just worried about me...I'm such an idiot!_

Curling up into a ball, she began to cry, tears soaking into the covers. She would stay there for a while, she decided, then go and apologise. But as it turned out, she didn't get the chance.

Strong fingers touched her face, wiping the tears away, and making her open her eyes.

Mwu was knelt beside the bed, confusion and concern on his handsome face. That, coupled with the pain she saw in his eyes, made Murrue cry harder. _I hurt him.._

"I'm...I...sorry, I'm so sorry, I.."

Climbing onto the bed, he took her in his arms, stroking her back gently.

"Sssssh, it's okay. Please, will you tell me what's wrong? I know there's something the matter, and your emotions are all over the place. It's like being married to a yo-yo..."

That made her giggle through the tears, but the worry was still there.

"I...I don't know what's wrong..I.."

"Will you come to the doctors with me? Please?"

"Well, even without the tests we ran, it's not hard to tell why you're acting this way, Fllaga-san"

replied the doctor with a smile. Murrue blinked. "It isn't?" she asked, looking down at the plaster on her cut finger.

In reply, he handed her a piece of paper. "Those are your test results."

"But this says I'm..." _I can't believe it..._

"Yes. I guess congratulations are in order. Will your husband be happy?"

She nodded slowly, and stood up. Thanking the doctor in a hazy sort of way, Murrue wandered out of the office like she was in a dream.

"What's wrong? What did he say?" Mwu had been made to stay outside while she was being tested, which he hadn't been happy about.

In response to his question, Murrue handed him the paper. After reading what it said, his face lit up.

"You're...you're..."

She smiled, the idea just now beginning to sink in. "I'm going to have a baby.." she whispered, beginning to cry again, but this time with happiness.

Mwu laughed and lifted her into the air, swinging her round. "This is wonderful!"

After he set her down, she sat on a bench, hands on her stomach, familiar worried expression returning to her face. She **was** happy, but she was also terrified at the same time.

"Hey, what's the matter?" asked Mwu, sitting down beside her. "Aren't you happy?"

"Of course I am..but I'm scared. Are we ready for a family? AndI don't know if I'll be a good mother..."

He smiled. "Of course you don't."

"Huh?" That wasn't quite the response she had expected.

"Well, how can you know if you'll be a good mother until you _are_ a mother? I don't know if I'll be any good at being a father, but I'll give it my best shot. We can learn together."

Murrue smiled slowly as she thought about what Mwu had said. Yes, they **could** learn together.

Learn how to be parents...

"You're right. We can learn. And as long as we have each other..we'll be okay, right?"

"Yep" he replied, pulling her close and kissing her lightly. "We'll be just fine."

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( There ya go! This was a request from Jadzia, and I hope it's okay.

I know Murrue-san acted funny, but your emotions are all over the place when you're like that. Or so I've heard, anyway.

Please read and review, even if you think it sucked :laughs: )


	25. Yume: Dream

_Where on Earth am I?_

It was a garden. Everywhere he looked, he could see flowers or trees. Neo didn't know much about gardening, but he could tell that this place was well looked after. It also seemed to be very hot, if the haze in the air was anything to go by. But if that was so, why couldn't he feel the heat? He could hear everything just fine, the buzz of summer insects, the hiss of a sprinkler...It was like he was there, but at the same time, not there.

_Is this a dream?_

**That's right.**

Neo looked around sharply, to see who had answered him, but he could see no-one. No-one except a man sitting on the grass a few metres away. He had collar-length blonde hair, and wore a grey t-shirt and blue denim shorts. He was also barefoot. He was leaning over a flower, and so Neo couldn't see him properly, until the man sat up with a smile, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Neo froze.

_That man...he's me. But he can't be..._

Looking down at himself, Neo saw he was still wearing the Alliance issue T-shirt and black uniform trousers he had been wearing when he fell asleep. So that man wasn't him, just looked like him. After all, this man looked happy, almost carefree, and Neo couldn't remember ever feeling like that. Plus, the man's hair was too short, and he wore a gold ring on his left hand, a wedding ring.

_All the same, I feel oddly jealous of this man. Hey, wait..._

The man leaned back and brushed the golden hair from his face, and Neo gasped. The forked scar across the man's face was clearly visible, and the other scars on his arms and legs became clearer now also.

_This man doesn't just look like me...he **is** me. But how? I don't understand..._

His other self, after letting the sun beat down on his face for a little while, leaned over again and went back to planting flowers. He even began to whistle a little tune while he worked. Neo couldn't help smiling a little.

_This other me seems very happy. I just wonder how I could be like this. Is this another reality or something?_

**No, this is your reality..**

As Neo watched, he could see two little girls, one older than the other, sneak up behind his other self. Neo tried to call out, to warn him, but no words would come out. The girls tip-toed up, and pushed what looked like an ice cube down the back of the other Neo's T-shirt. The man yelled, flailing about, trying to get the offending object out of his clothes, which just made the girls giggle.

_I wonder who these children are..._

Neo continued to watch as his other self finally managed to get the ice-cube from down his back. Then he picked up the two girls, one under each arm, and raced with them over to the sprinkler. The children squealed with laughter as the cold water hit them, and they squirmed around, trying to break free.

"Stop it, Papa, stop it!" yelled the older girl, laughing.

Neo was amazed. _Papa? These children, they're mine? I'm their father?_

**That's right.**

_But how...who's their mother?_

At the end of the garden, Neo could just make out a brunette woman in a pink dress calling something. He couldn't hear her words or see her clearly, but his other self put down the two girls and they all walked to where the woman waited. Neo tried to follow, but his legs wouldn't move, however much he wanted them to.

**You can't. Because you don't exist here yet.**

_What does that mean?_

**This is your future, what will come to pass. I let you see this, but you won't remember any of it.**

_The future? You mean, I'll be this person one day, and have this life?_

The garden and the people in it began to fade from sight, becoming dimmer and dimmer, the light seeming to leave it...

The next thing he knew, Neo was looking at the grey ceiling of his cabin aboard the _Girty Lue_. Stretching out, he smiled to himself. He felt oddly happy, but he had no idea why.

_I must have had a good dream..._

She saw a beautiful garden, filled with every type of plant she could imagine. Murrue smiled in happiness as she looked around her. _I always wanted a garden like this..._

"Hey, slow down with that glass! You'll hurt yourself!"

The voice came from an open doorway just to Murrue's right, and seconds later, a little girl rushed out with a drink in her hand. Murrue gasped. The little girl looked to be about nine years old, and looked like a miniature version of herself.

"Don't worry, Mama, I'll be fine!"

A woman walked out of the doorway, carrying another little girl in her arms.

_That woman...she's me!_

**Yes, she is, **came a voice from the air.

The other Murrue looked older, and her hair was longer. As she put the other girl down, Murrue the observer could see that her other self was pregnant, and wore two golden rings on her left hand.

_I'm married? And these are my children?_

"Okay now, go tell your papa the drinks are ready!"

The two girls raced off into the garden, leaving the older Murrue alone. She smiled and pressed her hand to her stomach, as a breeze chased through the garden and blew through her hair. The observer Murrue was very jealous.

_She has everything. A nice house, a garden, children, a husband...hey wait, who's she married to?_

The other Murrue wandered over to a table, where the older girl had set her drink down, then chuckled.

"She took an ice cube with her...he's not going to be very happy..."

A few minutes later, a yell shattered the peace of the garden, and the other Murrue giggled. "I knew it.."

As for the observer Murrue, the yell had echoed through her memories and made her gasp.

_I know that voice..._

More yelling came from the garden, but this time it was from the two children, along with a laugh that was so familiar, it brought tears to Murrue's eyes.

_Now I know who she's married to. That littlest girl, she had golden hair. And both girls had blue eyes..._

_This other me..she's married to Mwu._

Tears began to trickle down her face. _This is another reality, isn't it? What could have happened if he hadn't..hadn't.._

**No, this is what will happen. This is your future, ten years from now.**

_It can't be. Mwu's dead, I saw him die..right in front of me!_

**Did you? Did you actually _see_ him die?**

The air in the garden shimmered, and through the haze, Murrue could see a male figure approaching her other self, accompanied by the two girls. The figure was tall, blonde, and strongly built. She couldn't see his face, but she knew who it was. Her heart began to ache, and the tears came harder.

_Mwu! Oh, Mwu!_

Murrue tried to move towards him, to call out, but her feet wouldn't obey her commands, and no sound came out when she opened her mouth.

_Please, I want to see him, to talk to him! I have so much I want to tell him!_

**You can't. Remember, I said that this was the future. You don't exist here yet. I let you see this ****to show you that there is happiness waiting for you. But you won't remember any of this when ****you wake up.**

_Why? If I remembered...Mwu's alive! I could try and find him!_

**I'm sorry...**

Murrue screamed in silence, praying that he would somehow be able to hear her, as the garden faded from sight and vanished.

_Mwu!_

"Captain Ramius! Captain Ramius, are you all right?"

Her marigold eyes snapped open, and she saw the concerned face of Andrew Bartfeld.

"What? What happened?" Her throat was raw from screaming, but she didn't remember how, or why.

"You were crying in your sleep, shouting out for Mwu. I guess even now you still have nightmares about it"

Murrue touched her fingers to her face, feeling the tears on her cheeks.

"I was dreaming about him? I don't remember it. But..I..." She started crying again, not knowing why she felt so miserable. It felt like she had discovered something wonderful, then had it ripped away from her.

But for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was. All she could do was cry for the lost memory.

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( Angst! Drama! Lol, sorry, I don't know where this idea came from.

As for the 'voice' in bold, well, it could be anyone. Any of us, in fact, wanting to show Murrue-san and Neo-san that they will be happy one day.

Sorry if it's weird. Please read and review! )


	26. Aishiteru: I Love You

This is something Jadzia and I came up with yesterday on the forums. If Neo-san had saved the _Archangel_ from being spammed by the Tannhauser, but **didn't** get his memories back, what might have happened?

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The battle against ZAFT had ended over half an hour ago, and mobile suits and pilots were returning to their ships, to be greeted by their friends and loved ones. Akatsuki had also returned to it's ship, but the one person it's pilot wanted to be greeted by wasn't there. Neo sighed, and went to change out of his pilot suit.

_I should have guessed that she wouldn't be here. Why would she be?_

He'd known in his heart that the Captain wouldn't be there, yet, from the bottom of that same heart, he'd hoped that she would be...

Leaving the mechanics to lock down Akatsuki, he made his way out of the hangar and towards the bridge. After all, where else would she be so soon after a battle?

Murrue was on _Archangel_'s observation deck. She had wanted to visit the hangar, but had stopped herself. The thought of being there when he came back made her feel unexpectedly shy. Would he even be pleased to see her there? So she had stopped halfway, not wanting to go back to the bridge, but too scared (which also made her cross) to go any further.

_If I did go, what would I do? What would I say to him? I know what I'd like to happen, but..._

When he had blocked the Tannhauser with Akatsuki, her heart had stopped for a moment.

It was happening again...history was repeating itself...

_No..._ she had silently screamed, _please don't let this happen...please don't make **him** leave me too.._

It was like a curse, everyone Murrue had ever fallen in love with ended up being killed. First **him**, then Mwu, then...

But he hadn't. The Akatsuki had reflected the beam, and remained intact. The Colonel's face had appeared on the screen, reassuring them that he was alive. He had no idea of the significance of what he had just done.

_I want to see him...to tell him how happy I am that he's okay...but what do I do?_

Neo was making his way up the corridor on his way to the bridge when he passed the observation deck, and saw the very person he wanted to see.

"Captain?" She turned around, and gasped. "Colonel!"

Neo made his way over to her side, wondering why she was standing here.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her. All she did was turn away and gaze out of the window.

"Why did you do it?" she asked softly.

Neo was confused. "Do what?"

"Throw yourself in the way like that...you could have been killed..."

Now he understood. She was angry at him for what he had done, and with good reason. Neo hadn't even considered the fact that he could have been killed, but even if he had, it would have been worth it.

"Because I wanted to protect you." he replied.

The Captain shook her head, auburn hair flying. "I'm sure the crew is very grateful to you. But still..."

"No, you didn't hear me right. I did what I did to protect _you._"

Murrue looked up at him in amazement. _He did it for me?_ She could feel the heat beginning to spread across her cheeks, and she glanced away again, afraid of giving herself away.

"Still.." she began, attempting to be professional. "you shouldn't have taken a risk like that. If you - if you had been..." her voice trailed off. It was too painful to think about.

"If I had died," said the Colonel gently, "would you have been sad?"

"Y-yes, you're a valued crewmember, and I..." she stuttered.

He reached out and grasped her chin in his hand, tilting her face up so she was looking right into his deep blue eyes.

"Is that the only reason?" he whispered. She couldn't answer him, she just blushed deeper.

_No...no, it isn't...but I..._

"I wouldn't have died, I'd have found some way to come back to you. Because, remember, I said I had something important I wanted to tell you." Leaning down, he whispered three words in Murrue's ear, which caused her heart to start racing. Pulling out of his hold, she backed away a few steps.

"H-how can you? You've only been part of the crew f-for three weeks.." she stuttered.

"That doesn't matter. And anyway, it feels like I've known you for a very long time..." he replied.

Murrue turned away and put her hand to the window, the cool glass soothing her warm skin.

_He...he loves me...How do I answer him?_

"It doesn't matter if you don't love me back. All I wanted was to tell you how I felt. Even if you hate me."

"N-no!" she gasped in shock. "I don't hate you...And I want to answer you...but I...I..."

The Colonel smiled. "You need time? Take all the time you need. However long it takes, I'll be waiting."

He pulled her into a light hug, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll be waiting" he repeated.

Later that day, Murrue was sitting in her office. A hot cup of coffee stood on her desk, but it was like she never saw it. She was too busy thinking about what the Colonel had said to her.

A soft knock at the door startled her out of her reverie, and she almost knocked the cup over.

_Is it him? _"Come in!"

The door opened, and Miriallia walked in. "Captain, are you all right? You've been in here most of the day, and you're...kinda spaced out. What happened?"

Blushing fiercely, Murrue stuttered out her story.

Miriallia smiled when she heard about the Colonel's confession. "That's so sweet! I got the impressionquite a while agothat he liked you. So how do you feel about him?"

The look on the Captain's face told Miriallia all she needed to know.

"You love him too, huh? Did you tell him?" Murrue shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because...because...I...he's so...like..."

"He's like the Commander? That's because he is the Commander. Everyone on the ship knows who he really is, and even **he** probably thinks he does. But even if he wasn't, he'd still be himself."

Murrue still looked scared. "If I...did tell him, would I be betraying Mwu's memory?"

Miriallia raised an eyebrow. "How could you be, if he _is_ him? Think for a moment. If he wasn't the Commander, if he was just himself, how would you feel?"

Murrue closed her eyes and thought about him. Even if he wasn't Mwu...

_Even if he wasn't my Mwu...he's still handsome, and kind, and brave...he's..._

As she thought, a blush reappeared on her cheeks, and she opened her marigold eyes. "I'd still...feel the same way.."

"Well then, you should tell him, if he's waiting for an answer. And you know that even if he wasn't him, the Commander would want you to be happy. You can't be afraid to love someone."

The next day, Neo stood on the observation deck alone, deep in thought. His mind was on what had transpired yesterday. The Captain had looked so scared when he told her how he'd felt, and he was worried that she was upset. But he didn't regret telling her.

_I kept it inside as long as I could. At least I was able to let her know how I feel, even if she doesn't feel the __same way about me..._

Neo jumped in surprise when the Captain floated up and stood next to him. He had been so lost in thought, he'd never noticed her.

"C-captain...I..you scared me!" he said, laughing nervously. She didn't answer, just smiled gently. And slipped her thin hand into his.

Neo looked down at their hands in complete amazement, then smiled happily and squeezed her hand.

"This...this is your answer?" he asked in a whisper, hardly daring to hope.

She shook her head. "No, _this_ is..." Standing on her tip-toes, she whispered something in Neo's ear which caused his face to light up in happiness.

"Really? You do?"

The Captain smiled again, and nodded.

"Even though I'm not him? You still..."

"Because you're _you_. It doesn't make a difference if you aren't him."

Neo laughed and pulled his captain into a tight hug, relishing in the feeling of her body against his. There was only one more thing he wanted to make this dayperfect.

Leaning away from her slightly, he gazed down at her. Her cheeks were pale pink, and her eyes were shining. A smile still graced her lips as she looked up at him. _She's so beautiful..._

Bending down, he entwined his fingers in her thick, soft hair, and ever so gently, pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss lasted only a few minutes, but it felt like eternity.

When they broke apart, Murrue looked up into his eyes, and her heart jumped. The look in those blue eyes was so familiar and loving.

_He's still here, even if he doesn't remember. He's still watching me..._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------_

( Sappy? You betcha. OOC? More than likely. But I couldn't care less :laughs:

I think it's cute, and it was tough to write anyway. Neo-san always is.

Inspiration came from the Cardcaptor Sakura manga, and Kare Kano. Don't ask me why, I have no idea...

Please read and review, even to laugh at my fangirliness... )


	27. Mirai: Future

( Hi! This be ze sequel to 'Yume', or 'Dream', and it's much happier than that chapter, honest! )

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It was summer in the garden. The sun shone through the trees, offering shade from the heat of the day, and the sprinklers hissed in the background, giving the many and varied plants some respite from the sun's rays.

Mwu sat on the grass in the full glare of the day, but it was if he never noticed the heat. He was too busy planting flowers to add even more colour to this garden. The flowers were marigolds, their orange-brown shade perfectly reflecting his wife's eyes. They had been bought as a surprise, and he wanted to get them planted before Murrue found out.

_I hope she likes them..._

Occasionally, Mwu would tip his head back to move the hair out of his eyes, and pause to wipe sweat from his brow. But he kept working, imagining the smile on her face when he showed her these flowers. The thought made him smile as well, and he began to whistle softly.

In the kitchen of their house, Murrue was helping her two little girls make a drink for their father.

After much discussion, Stellar had decided that Papa would really like some cream soda, and three-year-old Lily had nodded firmly in agreement.

Stellar had poured the soda, and Murrue was now adding a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

"Can it be a bigger scoop, Mama? Papa must be really hot out there!" chirped the nine-year-old, dancing about the kitchen.

"Sure, sweetie. But how come Papa's been out there all this time? What could he be doing?"

Stellar grinned. She knew exactly what Papa was doing, but she alsoknew it was a surprise.

"Uhhh...maybe he's sleeping?"

Lily giggled. "Yeah! Papa's sleeping!"

Murrue raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Whatever Mwu was really up to, she would find out eventually.

"Okay, it's ready now. Your cola's here too, Stellar." The girl beamed, grabbed the glass her mother handed her, and charged out into the garden. Murrue sighed, picking up Lily.

"Hey, slow down with that glass! You'll hurt yourself!" she called, following her daughter out into the garden.

"Don't worry, Mama, I'll be fine!"

Setting her youngest child down, Murrue told them to go and get their father, as his drink was ready.

After the children had raced off to find him, she stood slightly in the shade of one of the trees, relishing the shade, and the feel of a light breeze blowing through her hair.

She smiled as she felt a light kick, no more than a flutter, and pressed a hand to her stomach.

_You like the shade better too, little one?_

Mwu was absorbed in his work, planting the last flower in a sunny hollow underneath one of the trees. He never noticed the two girls sneaking up behind him until it was too late. All of a sudden he felt an ice cold object slither down his back underneath his grey T-shirt, causing him to yell out loud.

He stood up, flapping his arms around, trying to get whatever it was away from him. Stellar and Lily kept at a safe distance, giggling loudly.

After the ice cube they had shoved down his back had been removed, Mwu suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the two girls by the waist, one under each arm.

"Funny, huh? You asked for it!"

He ran with his daughters to the nearest sprinkler, and held them under the water spray. They shrieked as the cold water hit their skin, and squirmed as hard as they could to try and escape. Mwu just laughed.

"Stop it, Papa, stop it!" giggled Stellar. "We helped make you a drink, Mama's waiting!"

As he walked through the garden with Stellar, Lily in his arms, he could make out Murrue waiting for him near the house.

"Come on," she called, laughing, "the ice cream's going to melt!"

Suddenly, Mwu remembered seeing something like this before. In a dream...

Then it hit him. The dream he had had, ten years ago, when he was still Neo, before he regained his past and his true self.

_I remember it now. The voice in the dream said I would have a happy future, and they were right..._

It made him smile. He remembered that the dream had alsocaused him to smile upon waking back then, even though he hadn't been sure why.

Murrue had also remembered that dream, almost at the same moment her husband had. But the realization didn't make her smile. The pain and sadness she had felt in that dream hit her all at once, still as fresh as it had been ten years before. _He was alive, and I didn't remember. I saw him and could do nothing about it..._

Despite the dream being true, and the happy future she had been promised coming to pass, it still hurt her.

Sinking to her knees, Murrue began to cry softly.

"Mama!" shouted Stellar, running towards her. "What's the matter?"

Murrue shook her head. "Nothing, sweetie. I'm all right.."

Mwu had also rushed forward when he saw his wife's distress. Setting Lily down gently, he knelt down beside Murrue and took her into his arms.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Is it the baby? Are you in pain?" he whispered into her ear, stroking her hair to soothe her as she sobbed into his chest.

"N-no, I'm okay" she hiccupped. "Just...remembering something sad, that's all..."

Mwu helped her to her feet. "Are you sure you're all right?"

At her nod, he kissed her on the cheek, muttering in her ear. "Please tell me later.."

Lily tugged at her dress, nuzzling into her mother's neck when she was picked up.

"Mama stopped crying now?" she asked.

Murrue kissed her youngest daughter. "Yes, Lily, Mama stopped crying." Walking into the kitchen, she brought out the cream soda and handed it to Mwu.

"Stellar and Lily helped make it. They thought you would like it." she said, smiling again, even though she was still a little sad.

_What's past is past. The dream came true, and I don't have to be sad anymore, because I have him with me again._

Later that night, after the children were in bed, Mwu and Murrue were sat in the garden, enjoying the coolness of the evening as the sun set. Mwu stretched out a foot and lazily pushed the hammock swing they sat in to and fro.

"So, now will you tell me why you were so sad earlier?"

Murrue sighed and looked up into the twilight sky, seeing stars twinkle overhead.

"I was remembering a dream I'd had, ten years ago. Stupid as it sounds, it was a dream of the future, of today, in fact. But I'd forgotten about it."

Mwu sat up and stared at her in surprise. "You had a dream like that too?"

Murrue blinked. "Yes. You mean you..."

"When I was on the _Girty Lue,_ my ship in the Alliance. When I was Neo. I saw this, all of it, but I couldn't move or speak, only watch. I did feel happy, though. I knew that one day there'd be a happier life waiting for me, even if I didn't remember it when I woke up."

"It made me sad said Murrue softly. "I could see you, and hear you, and I knew that it meant you were alive somewhere, but I wouldn't be able to do anything about it, because I would forget. I tried so hard to call out, to get you to hear me, but I couldn't..." A single tear dripped down her cheek.

Mwu reached out and wiped the tear from her face. "Please, don't cry anymore. After all, the dream came true, and that happy future's our present now. There's no need to be sad."

Pointing with his foot, he indicated the marigolds he'd planted that afternoon. "Look, this should make you smile. Your flowers."

"My flowers?" Peering into the darkness, she saw the orange-brown flowers dance in the evening breeze.

"Oh, they're beautiful! You planted them?"

Mwu grinned at her delight, happy that she was smiling again,and pulled her into his arms. "I hoped you'd like them..."

The two sat there for hours in each other's arms, watching the moon rise, coating everything in their garden in silver. They talked quietly, enjoying the other's presence and warmth.

It was so peaceful and still, that when the baby kicked again, they both noticed it.

"Soccer player" Mwu said, laughing, as he patted his wife's stomach.

"If he's a boy. Although girls can play soccer too..."

"I kinda hope he is a boy. I'd love another daughter, but I'd like to know what it feels like to have a son. That's something else the future can show us." he said, kissing Murrue gently.

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( XD FLUFF! The fluff :drowns:

Please read and review! )


	28. Umi: Sea

Today was the day. Mwu stood in the kitchen of their house, the morning sunlight streaming in through the windows and warming whatever it touched. It promised to be a glorious day, with perfect weather, which was just what he needed for his idea to work. Finishing his other task, Mwu poured the coffee that had been brewing into two mugs, and carried them upstairs.

Murrue was still fast asleep. Usually, she was the first to awaken. But she had been so busy with her work for Morgenroete, even poring over paperwork hours after she had arrived home, that she was completely exhausted.

She was supposed to have been at work that morning, pretty early, but Mwu had phoned in sick for her, and switched off her alarm.

_She'll be mad at me for it, but I don't care. She needs some rest. Even at weekends she still fills in reports..._

Kneeling down beside the bed, Mwu waved the mug of coffee under his girlfriend's nose, smiling as she stirred, then opened her marigoldeyes slowly.

"Mwu?" she mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "...time is it?"

Mwu picked up the clock and passed it to her. Murrue blinked, trying to make her fuzzy vision focus on the numbers.

Then she gasped, and tried to climb out of bed.

"I'm so late! Erica's going to kill me! Why didn't my alarm go off?"

Replacing the covers, and handing her the coffee, Mwu climbed into bed next to her.

"Because I switched it off. And I called in sick for you."

For a moment, Murrue could only stare. Then, just as he had predicted, she got angry.

"Why did you do something like that? I have so much work to do, you..." She made to climb out of bed. "I'm going to call Erica and tell her I can come in." She tried to move, but Mwu grabbed her around the waist and held her back, no matter how much she struggled. "Let me go!"

"Not a chance. You've been so tired lately, and so busy we've barely been able to spend any time together. It feels like we're strangers or something, and I don't want it to carry on like this. It's partly my fault too, and so I decided that today we're just gonna be a couple, and be together." he replied sternly.

Murrue still looked cross, but he just leaned back in bed and pulled her to him.

"I'm sorry. Tomorrow you can work for as long as you want, but for today, please...?"

She sighed, and finally gave in. "Okay, I'll stay here. But only for today, and you can't keep doing this."

"Only if you promise to book time off once in a while."

"All right...hey, what about you? Aren't you meant to be at work as well?"

Mwu grinned. "I booked a day off ages ago. I just didn't tell you."

She sighed again, and rested her head on his chest. "You're impossible, Mwu.."

Laughing, he tilted her head up so she was looking at him, and kissed her softly. "Yep"

"So, what did you have planned for this 'day off'? Anything special?"

"Well," he said, rooting out some brightly coloured towels from the cupboards, "I thought we could go to the beach together. You need some sunlight, you've been in that underground hangar for so long you're turning into a mushroom."

Murrue giggled. "I am not! But the beach does sound good. However, you have to promise not to wear those...things." she said, referring to the horrific bright pink shorts Mwu liked to wear in the garden.

"I am _not_ being seen in public with you in those."

"There's nothing wrong with them! But if you insist, I'll takethose blackones. What about you? What will **you** wear?"

She just smiled slyly. "Wait and see, my love."

The beach was crowded with people enjoying the hot summer day. There was hardly space to move, but somehow Mwu found them a spot not too far from the sea, and set up the umbrella and towels. Murrue smiled and closed her eyes as the sea breeze blew over her, taking away some of her fatigue.

_Mwu was right, I did need this. And spending the day just with him...it's perfect._

He had forbidden her from taking her phone or pager, and had also left his behind, saying that today was just for them, and no-one was going to know where they had gone.

Sitting down on a beach towel, Murrue slipped off her dress, revealing the pale blue bikini she wore underneath.

_I wonder what his reaction will be..._ she thought, blushing slightly.

After putting the finishing touches to the unbrella, Mwu turned to Murrue...and stared.

This was the first time he'd ever seen her in something like that, and she looked stunning. She was only sitting there, but even only that drew attention from other guys on the beach.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, pink-cheeked.

"Wha - er...I...sorry." he said, snapping out of his daze. "You want to go for a swim?"

Shaking her head, Murrue lay back on the towel. "I'm going to stay here for a bit. Can you...uh.."

"Can I what?"

Blushing deeper, she muttered, "Can you put some lotion on my back, please?"

_Oh, boy..._ Mwu gulped. _After this, I think I might need to go swim to cool me off..._

After Mwu had gone for his swim, Murrue lay enjoying the warmth of the sun, hoping that it would somehow cancel out the warmth in her cheeks. The feel of his strong hands massaging the lotion into her back had been...well, she had just been glad he hadn't noticed how much her heart was racing.

_I can't believe I asked him to do that...but it felt great..._

Returning from his dip, Mwu walked up the beach, drawing squeals of admiration from the beach bunnies (which he completely ignored) and leaned over Murrue. "Want an ice cream?"

The sea water dripped from his hair and onto her back, causing her to gasp. "Arrgh! That's cold!"

Laughing, he sat down beside her. "Sorry." He made to hug her, and she shrieked, tryingto escape.

"Get away! You're all covered in sand as well!"

Mwu pouted. "Awww...no fair. I'm going for ice cream..want one?"

Getting to her feet, and slipping sandals on against the hot sand, Murrue held her hand out.

"I'll get them. You stay here and dry off. What were you going to get?"

Handing her the money, he asked for a cornet, then stood up and placed his shirt around her shoulders.

"There we go. Don't want you getting burnt now. It's really hot."

The ice cream was just what they needed. Mwu finished his in a couple of bites, as he had a large mouth.

Murrue just nibbled hers, making it last.

"Hey, what did you get? Can I have a taste?"

She turned away from him, laughing. "Nope. It's all mine."

Mwu loved it when she acted all childish. Taking her arm, he tried to pull her towards him so he could sneak a taste, but she wriggled out of his grasp. "No, you finished all yours! This is mine!"

_Hmm, time for another tactic.._

He grabbed her by the waist, grinning as she immediately moved the ice cream out of his reach.

Turning her face to meet his, he kissed her deeply, tasting her mouth.

"Hmmm," he said after they had broken for air. He licked his lips. "Strawberry.."

"Cheater!" she yelled, and pushed him over, laughing all the time.

That night, they stopped to pick up takeout dinner, and ate their tortillas in the garden on the swing. Mwu pushed a whole tortilla into his mouth and smiled, the salsa dripping down his chin.

"You pig!" said Murrue, wiping it away with a tissue. "You can't have tasted that or anything. What did you do it for?"

"Because I could" he replied, once he had swallowed, and she just rolled her eyes.

When dinner was over, they went for a walk around the garden.

"It's such a beautiful night...I wish I didn't have work tomorrow" she sighed, plopping down onto the grass.

Sitting down beside her, Mwu took her in his arms. "Well, if we remember to make time for each other when we finish work, then we can do this kind of thing more often."

She smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that. I do feel more relaxed now..."

"Well, I bet I can make you feel even **more** relaxed.." he replied with a saucy grin, pulling her down onto the grass, and kissing her.

Murrue closed her eyes as his hands began to caress her body.

"Mmmmm, that sounds good to me..."

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( XD I loves writing ze fluff! The ending of that one was a bit...well...:grins:

But Murrue-san does work herself too hard, and I can't imagine her taking it any easier now that the war is over. Luckily she has Mwu to remind her lol

Please read and review! )


	29. Tenshi: Angel

The morning was clear and warm. The sound of birds singing drifted through the open window, causing Murrue to stir. Opening her eyes, she reached out to the alarm clock on the bedside table, checking the time.

"Mwu, honey, wake up. Only an hour before work.." she murmured sleepily. Then she paused.

Mwu wasn't there.

The other side of the bed was empty, save for a note on the pillow.

_Murrue,_

_One of the other instructors rang in sick, so I have to cover his classes as well as my own._

_Sorry I had to leave before you woke up, but I'll be back by five o'clock, I promise._

_See you tonight!_

_Love, Mwu x_

Murrue scowled and climbed out of bed, intent on the shower. The jerk!

Normally it wouldn't bother her that he'd been called in, but today...today was special..

_No, I shouldn't be mad at him. It's not his fault..._But it still hurt.

After getting ready, she pulled out the present and card she had got for him, leaving it on the mantelpiece. There hadn't been anything left for her when she got downstairs, no cards, no flowers, no nothing. Getting in her car, she left for work.

_Some Valentine's Day **this** is...and it's our first together..._

At work, when she opened her locker, there was a veritable cascade of cards, chocolates, and other little presents. Murrue hadn't a clue where they all came from, but not one of them was from **him**.

"_Someone_'s popular today.." remarked Erica, as she walked around the corner.

"Where did all these come from?" asked Murrue, frowning.

"My guess would be your co-workers. You're the kind of girl who's popular without trying to be. It's very flattering, huh?"

"Not really" replied the auburn-haired woman, slamming her locker shut.

Erica raised an eyebrow. "Nothing from the boyfriend, then?"

"You guessed, huh? Just a note telling me he had to go in early."

The look on Murrue's face warned Erica not to push things any further, so she changed the subject, leading her friend to the elevator.

All through the day, in the hangar, at lunch, everywhere she turned, Murrue saw people giving Valentine gifts to each other, and whispering about who they'd like to recieve them from. It made her a little cross that it mattered to her so much.

_Why am I so mad that he forgot? It's not as if it's my birthday, or anything particularly special._

_So why am I acting like this?_

She was jolted out of this rational introspection by two of the technicians walking past.

"So, is it true?"

"About what? That they say Ramius-san's boyfriend forgot about her on Valentine's Day?"

"Yeah. I can't believe that. That someone could forget when she's as beautiful as she is..."

"Well, you know what these pilots are like. Probably has a girl in every port..."

Putting her tools down, Murrue calmly walked out of the hangar and into her office. There, with the door firmly closed, she kicked the wall. Hard.

_Why did he have to forget? I know he's been busy recently, but...even a card would have been nice..._

_And why does it matter to me so much?_

Even with these thoughts, she already knew why it mattered. Because she loved him.

And didn't every girl want a gift from their beloved on Valentine's Day?

A faint floral scent came floating on the air, causing her to turn around. On her desk, half hidden by paperwork and her computer, was a bunch of flowers in a glass vase.

A very big bunch of flowers.

Red and pink roses.

Curious in spite of herself, even knowing that they'd just be from one of her co-workers, Murrue walked over to her deskand picked up the card that lay next to the bouquet.

_To my Valentine._

A simple message, yet her heart began racing, and tears came to her eyes. But these were tears of happiness and relief, not sorrow and self-pity.

Because it was Mwu's handwriting.

_He didn't forget...he didn't..._

The other side of the card held another message.

_Hey there,_

_When you get home, will you dress up in your best outfit? Can't go out to dinner in your work clothes, can you?_

_PS: Did you think I forgot?_

Murrue buried her face in the roses, inhaling their sweet perfume. Mwu always managed to exceed all expectations.

She felt bad for ever doubting him.

"Idiot..." she whispered.

"Oh, so you found them?" It was Erica's voice. Murrue turned around, confused. "What?"

Her friend laughed. "Fllaga-san actually called me to check if they'd turned up. He was really cross that they hadn't this morning. I'd have hated to be that florist..."

Murrue flushed, and buried her face in the flowers again. _So he had this all planned out?_

When she reached home, he was waiting for her. Shutting the car door, she carried the bouquet into the living room, setting it down carefully on the coffee table, then sheflung her arms around him.

"Thank you..."

Mwu grinned and returned the embrace. "You're welcome. They were late, actually, they were supposed to be on your desk that morning. I hope you didn't think I forgot about what day it was..."

Murrue didn't answer, just nuzzled into his neck, blushing.

He laughed. "You did, didn't you? Silly. Come on now, let's get ready. We have a table booked, after all."

The restaurant was lovely, quiet and out of the way, with only a few other couples there. The food was wonderful, and even Mwu, with his self-professed dislike of 'fancy food' had been impressed. Especially with the steamed chocolate pudding for dessert.

"Hey, this is good stuff..."

Murrue giggled, and straightened his collar. "It certainly is. Now perhaps you can take me out for dinner more often?"

He flashed a rueful grin and rolled his eyes. "If you like..."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a long black-velvet covered box, and handed it to her.

"Here. Happy Valentine's Day. Our first together, huh?"

Murrue flushed, the pink in her cheeks matching her dress, as she popped the catch and opened the box. What she saw took her breath away.

A bracelet, made of delicate golden links, so fine it looked as though it would break if she even breathed on it.

And hanging on the bracelet, a charm. A tiny golden angel, with equally tiny crystal wings.

"Oh Mwu...it's so beautiful..."

He smiled, and fastened the jewellery around her thin wrist. "I thought it would be perfect for you. What with you being an angel, and everything."

Murrue went scarlet, and looked down, her auburn hair hiding her face. "Don't be silly..I'm not an angel.."

"Of course you are." he replied, tilting her face up to where he could stare into her marigold eyes.

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now, and I'd never know what it was like to be this happy."

Murrue looked away again. "Well, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here either. So, does that make **you** an angel too?"

"Nah" he replied. "I'm not special, or beautiful, or any of the things you are. You are an angel as far as I'm concerned, **my** angel, and I'm incredibly lucky to be able to be with you."

Embarrassed, but at the same time,absurdly happy, Murrue looked at her present, cheeks still pink.

After their dinner, the couple went for a walk on the beach in the moonlight, hand-in-hand. Murrue's gaze kept wandering to the bracelet she had recieved, her mind returning to the things Mwu had said to her. It still made her heart race and colour rise in her face.

Mwu's attention, on the other hand, was focused solely on her, the way the moonlight reflected from her haunting eyes and made her hair shimmer. _She _is_ an angel..._

"Were you sad?"

"Huh?" She looked up at him, confusion on her beautiful face.

"When you thought I'd forgotten. Were you sad?"

She smiled a little. "A bit. But I got lots of other presents from people, chocolate, cards..."

Mwu felt jealousy, but squashed it down, and smiled.

"Were they better than my presents?"

Murrue pretended to think about it, an impish grin on her face. "Hmmm...let me think...those chocolates were nice, and then there were..."

Mwu scowled playfully, and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her from the sand.

"So, they were better presents than mine, huh?"

She giggled, and tried to escape, but he had a firm hold on her. "Well?"

Murrue just smiled. "What about you? Didn't **you** get any other presents?"

He blinked. "Well..I did get some chocolate.."

"Well then? Was that better than my present?"

In answer, Mwu pulled her closer so she was pressed against him, head on his shoulder. "What do _you_ think?"

Murrue closed her eyes as she inhaled the scent of the aftershave she had bought and left out for him as a gift.

"The answer's the same for me. Your gifts were best, because they were from you. And I was very sad when I thought you'd forgotten."

Then she frowned slightly, and pulled away from him a little. "But your presents were so...mine seems cheap in comparison..."

"What are you talking about? I'd love whatever you bought me."

"That's not the point. I wish I'd got you something more now.."

Mwu grinned. "Well, you can still give me something if you like." Leaning down, he whispered something in Murrue's ear that caused her to gasp and turn poppy red.

"How about that?"

Murrue didn't answer, just nodded. He could feel her heart racing, and he smiled again.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Murrue. I love you..." he said softly, bringing her close and pressing his lips to hers.

Their kiss on the moonlit sand was a passionate one, a promise of what was to come later, and a promise that all the Valentines that followed would be as happy as this first one had been.

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( Damn, the end was a bit steamier than I'd intended :laughs:

Happy Valentine's Day, minna-san!

Please read and review! )


	30. Baka: Idiot

Murrue sat at her desk, enjoying a last cup of coffee before she finished work. Today had been hectic to say the least, and she would be glad to get home and just relax. She did have paperwork to do, but that could wait until later.

_Or maybe I could do it before Mwu gets home. He is working late again, after all..._

Mwu had been busier than usual at the pilot academy, as the oldest class would be graduating in a couple of days. He had volunteered to help get the hall ready for the ceremony, and as a result, had to work longer. Murrue had been a little lonely at home for so long by herself, but at least this was the last night he had to stay late. She had even made him his favourite meal, and had just to warm it up when he got home.

_I'm glad he can come home at the right time now. Sometimes he doesn't get in until after I've gone to bed..._

The telephone ringing jolted her out of her daydream, and made her frown. Only a handful of people knew her direct office number, and even then, only ever used it in emergencies. Who could it be?

"Hello?"

"_Is that Murrue Ramius-san?"_

"Yes, may I ask who's calling?"

"_This is Dr. Bentley, from the academy hospital. I'm sorry to call you so late, but..Fllaga-sensei's been in an __accident..."_

Murrue went ice cold. An accident? Her fiance was hurt?

"Is...is he okay? He..."

"_He will be all right, but he won't be able to get home by himself. Can you come and pick him up?"_

"Of course! I'll be right over. What happened to him?"

"_Only he knows that. No-one was in the room with him when it happened, and he's had quite a nasty knock on the head.."_

" I see. I'll be about ten minutes."

The drive over took considerably less than ten minutes, given that the traffic was light for the time of day, and

that Murrue was speeding...She knew that the doctor would have told her if Mwu was hurt badly, but she couldn't help but be worried. She had come so close to losing him more than once, that even something trivial like this rather frightened her...

Running into the hospital wing, she nearly knocked over one of the nurses.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! But please, can you help me?"

"Certainly. What's the matter, are you looking for someone?"

Murrue nodded. "My fiance was brought in here earlier, he's an instructor in the academy..."

The nurse smiled. "Oh, you mean Fllaga-sensei? He's caused quite a stir among the younger nurses. He's just through here, I'll take you to him."

The nurse led Murrue into a long ward full of white beds. All the beds were empty, save for one at the far end. Mwu was laying there, either fast asleep or unconcious, and he had a few bandages on him, as well as being covered in bruises. Murrue inhaled sharply.

"Don't worry" said the nurse gently. "It looks far worse than it is"

As they neared his bed, Murrue noticed a small figure peeking around the door. The nurse had short red hair and green eyes, and she was just staring at the man in the bed.

"Hey!" snapped the older nurse. "Don't you have work to do? Go fetch the doctor!"

Murrue stifled a giggle despite her worry, as the little nurse's eyes widened, and she ran off.

"Sorry about that...I keep having to shoo all the younger nurses away, especially her..."

Murrue shook her head. "At least I know he's been taken care of..."

The doctor entered the room, and smiled.

"Ah, you must be Ramius-san. Sorry to have to drag you all the way out here. Fllaga-sensei seems to have hit his head rather badly, and suffered a lot of cuts and bruises. The worst injury appears to be a fracture to his right leg."

Murrue sat by Mwu's bedside, and stroked his golden hair. "That's why he needs help getting home?"

"That's right. A couple of our orderlies can help get him into your car, and also help get him out when you reach home, if you like.."

When they reached the house, the orderlies carried Mwu up the stairs, and Murrue made the sofa in the bedroom into a bed by pulling a hidden lever. Mwu had discovered that it did this the other day, and had been delighted, stretching out on it to watch TV all the time.

The orderlies settled Mwu onto the sofa bed, and Murrue covered him with a blanket. Thanking the orderlies, she offered to give them a ride back to the hospital, but they refused, saying they were fine to get back by themselves.

She sat by his side while she ate her dinner, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, and occasionally holding his hand. Even though she now knew he wasn't badly hurt, she was still a little worried about him, as he had been asleep for several hours with no sign of waking.

But, being typically Mwu, as soon as Murrue even thought about that, he stirred, blue eyes opening. Looking around him, he frowned in confusion, then his handsome face cleared as he saw his fiancee looking down at him.

"Oh..hi, princess. Where am I?"

"At home. I brought you from the academy hospital. What did you _do?_"

Mwu screwed his eyes up, trying to remember. "I...I was putting up little flags and stuff for graduation. I kept moving across from one stepladder to another, only one time, the ladder wasn't there, and I kinda fell.."

Sitting up in the bed, Mwu winced as his muscles protested, and tried to get to his feet.

"No, wait! You.." gasped Murrue, trying to push him back down. As soon as his right foot touched the floor, Mwu yelled in pain, and collapsed back onto the bed.

"What did I do, Murrue? Why can't I stand up?" he whined, sounding like a kid.

"The doctor said you broke your leg, you...you..." She looked down.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"You IDIOT!" she yelled, a tear running down her face. "Why do you have to be so **reckless**? The doctor wouldn't tell me what was wrong over the phone, and I was so worried that you'd be hurt really badly, and I..."

Murrue leaned her head on his shoulder and just cried, the pent-up worry and relief getting too much for her.

Mwu didn't say anything, just held her tightly, stroking her back while she sobbed.

When she stopped crying, she pulled away slightly, still sniffling a bit. He reached out a hand and wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry, sweetheart.."

Murrue hiccuped a little, and forced a smile onto her face. "No, it's okay, it's just..I'll go make you dinner.."

As she stood up to leave, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"It's all right, I'm not hungry. But it's pretty late now.."

She smiled again, more genuinely this time, and shook her head. "All right. But I still have to lock up the house, don't I?"

After she had locked up and switched everything off, Murrue got ready for bed. Mwu was sprawled out on the sofa bed, and held out his hand to her, but she refused.

"No, you stay there. You can't be walking up and down stairs with a broken leg. And if I slept there, I might disturb you, or hurt you. I'll sleep upstairs. Do you want any tablets for the pain?"

Mwu pouted. "No, I'll be fine. But please come and sleep here..."

Leaning across the sofa bed, Murrue kissed her fiance goodnight. "No, you'll sleep better like that if you're on your own. See you in the morning.."

As the night wore on, Mwu tossed and turned in the makeshift bed, trying to get comfortable. Despite what he had said to Murrue, his leg was causing him a lot of pain, and was keeping him from sleeping.

Not to mention that he wasn't used to sleeping alone anymore...at this rate he would be awake for hours..

A slight creak on the little stairs leading up to the loft made Mwu pause in his self-pity. A figure crept down the stairs, and across to the sofa bed. It pulled back the covers, and slipped into the bed beside him.

Mwu grinned. "I thought you said you didn't want to disturb me?"

Murrue sighed. "You were awake anyway.."

Putting an arm around his fiancee, and bringing her closer, Mwu chuckled softly. "Couldn't you sleep either?"

She nuzzled closer to him, and nestled her head in the crook of his neck. "Now I can.."

He kissed the crown of her head, and closed his eyes. Just with her being there, the pain in his leg had lessened, and her warmth was making him drowsy.

"Same here..."

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( Here I am again! I thought I'd pick on Mwu this time, as it's always Murrue-san who gets sick, or injured, or whatever, and it's not really fair...

I pulled a Hitchcock and made a cameo in my own work. But I'm not telling you where XD

As for them not being able to sleep, well, you get used to a certain bed, and have trouble sleeping in a different one. And I'd imagine that it would be worse if a certain someone wasn't by your side lol.

Please read and review! )


	31. Onsen: Hot Tub

"So where is it you're going?" asked Kira, as he helped load up Mwu's car with the suitcases.

"A buddy of mine at the academy said we could stay at his cabin in the mountains for a few days. It sounds perfect, as there's almost nothing else up there." replied the blonde pilot, checking his car had enough petrol in it.

"So it'll be just you and Murrue-san, then?"

"Yeah". Mwu grinned boyishly. "Just the two of us. You don't mind taking care of her for a few days, do you?"

Kira shook his head. "It'll be great to have Stellar stay with us. Lacus is already making plans for what we can do while she's here. What will you and Murrue-san do while you're there?"

Mwu just looked at Kira and raised his eyebrows. "It's our fifth wedding anniversary, and we'll be completely alone together. What do _you_ think?" Kira didn't answer, just flushed and looked away.

"Mama, do you really have to go? Can't I come too?" Stellar was doing her best to be grown-up, but she hadn't been away from her parents for more than a few hours, and the thought of them being gone for three days gave her a big lump in her throat.

Murrue knelt down and wrapped her four-year-old daughter in her arms. "I'm sorry, honey. But we won't be gone long, and we'll call every day. And next time we go away, we'll take you with us, I promise."

"Really?"

"Cross my heart. But you have to be a good girl for Auntie Lacus and Uncle Kira, okay? Then, when Papa and I get back, maybe we can go out for ice cream?"

Stellar hugged her mother tightly, feeling a bit better. "Okay, Mama.."

Mwu turned from where he and Kira had finished loading the luggage. "Murrue, are you ready?"

The auburn-haired woman picked up her daughter in her arms and carried her over to where Mwu waited.

"Here, say goodbye to Papa.."

The little girl smiled, but then tears began to brim in her blue eyes at the thought that her parents were really going.

"Bye..Papa..." Then Stellar burst into tears and hugged Murrue as tightly as she could. "Please don't go! I..."

The rest of her sentence was lost in sobs.

Murrue felt like crying too. She and Mwu had wanted to take Stellar, but there was nowhere for her to sleep, and nothing for her to do while she was there. They knew she would be much happier staying with Kira and Lacus..but it still hurt.

Mwu lifted the girl out of her mother's arms. "Hey now, come on. We won't be gone very long. Where's my brave girl?

You don't cry when you fall over, so why are you crying now?"

Stellar sniffed, and scrubbed at her eyes. "Because...because.."

Lacus came forward and stroked the little girl's hair. "Don't you want to stay with me? I had all kinds of things planned that we could do together, and there are lots of friends for you to play with. You'll make everyone very sad if you cry..."

Stellar took a deep breath, and stopped crying. Turning to Lacus, she asked. "Really? I will?"

The pink-haired girl nodded. Stellar turned back to her parents. "You'll really call every day? And we can go for ice cream when you get home?"

Mwu grinned. "Promise."

The four-year-old looked thoughtful, and twisted her auburn hair around her fingers, looking so like her mother it made everyone smile. Finally, she nodded. "Okay then, I'll stay here..."

Murrue and Mwu kissed their daughter goodbye, and handed her to Lacus before climbing into the car.

Stellar waved as hard as she could, and didn't stop until the car was out of sight.

When they finally reached the mountain cabin, they both gasped. It was small, but in a beautiful location, with a stream nearby. The weather was perfect, not too hot, with a cool breeze to take the worst of the heat away.

"This is awesome" remarked Mwu, as he unlocked the door and led the way inside. The cabin was only four rooms large, just a kitchen, sitting room, bedroom and bathroom, all done in pine wood. Murrue closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the wood, smiling. "This is going to be great.."

That evening, the couple sat together on the porch of the cabin, looking up at the stars.

"You can see so much more up here than in the city...they're so bright!"

Mwu wrapped his arms around his wife's waist as the breeze brought with it the scent of pine and wildflowers.

"Are you glad we came here, then?"

She laughed softly. "Oh, yes"

He kissed her on the cheek. "I have a surprise for you tomorrow, since it's our anniversary. But tonight, I have an idea about what we can do."

Murrue blushed, and turned to him. "Well, there isn't much to _do _here, is there? I bet I can guess what you have in mind.."

Her husband held out his hand to her. "Shall we go for a walk? The woods around here are supposed to be beautiful at night."

She blinked. That wasn't at all what she'd expected, but then again, Mwu always found ways to surprise her.

Taking his hand, Murrue smiled, her marigold eyes shining in the starlight. "That sounds wonderful..."

The next morning, Mwu awoke to find that his wife was nowhere to be seen. "Murrue?"

Wandering out of the bedroom, yawning, he saw that the front door was open, letting the morning air into the cabin.

Sticking his head out of the door, he called her again. "Murrue, where are you?"

"I'm down here..."

Walking a little way into the woods, he saw her sitting in a clearing. She was already dressed, and was picking flowers.

"More flowers? Don't we have enough at home?"

Looking up, she blushed a little "Well, we don't have ones like these..."

The sun shone through the trees, the shadow of the leaves forming dappled patterns on her auburn hair. She looked so beautiful that morning, that Mwu's heart jumped, and he smiled to himself at the thought that even after knowing her for seven years, and being married to her for five of those, she still could make him react this way.

He walked towards her and sat on the grass beside her, his hand taking hers.

"W-what is it?" she asked, flushing again at his intense gaze.

Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed it. "Happy anniversary, my love.."

Later that day, he took her hand again while she was enjoying the sunlight, and pulled her to her feet.

"Mwu...what are you -?"

Laughing, he tugged her into the woods, and down a small hill "I have something to show you."

"Is it the surprise you talked about last night?"

"Nope, that's still to come. But this is almost as good."

Leading her down the hill, he turned a corner, and pointed. "Look what I found. I didn't even know it was here!"

Murrue gasped. A small lake nestled in a hollow at the bottom of a valley, glittering in the afternoon sunlight.

"Wanna go for a swim?"

She turned to her husband in confusion. "A swim? But we haven't brought anything to..." Her voice trailed off as she clocked the saucy grin on Mwu's face. "No way!" she squeaked, trying to pull away.

"Awww, come on. It'll be fun!"

She shook her head. "We can't! We don't know how deep that lake is, and we...we're not teenagers, Mwu. Besides.." She blushed again "What if someone sees us?"

He just laughed. "Don't be silly. We're completely alone here. Who could see us?"

Murrue looked away. "I still...don't..."

Mwu sighed, and put an arm around her. "All right. We don't have to if you don't want to. But can we at least paddle?"

She giggled in spite of herself. "Okay. We can do that..."

The silence of the mountain was broken for a little while that afternoon by splashing and laughing, as well as yells and shrieks.

"You okay?"

They were back at the cabin, and night was falling. Murrue was squeezing the water from the dress she had worn earlier, and was trying to be mad at her husband.

"Fine, considering you pushed me in."

Mwu looked sheepish. "I said that I was sorry..."

"Some paddling that turned out to be. We might as well have gone for that swim..."

He came up behind Murrue and put his arms around her as she stood at the sink, nuzzling at her neck. "Please don't be mad..."

She sighed. "I'm not mad, just...well..."

"Just what?"

"Never mind.." she said, stroking his face. "I should have known better that to think you'd have grown up by now.."

"I am too grown up!" he retorted, tickling Murrue's sides and making her squeal.

"Anyway, I still have something to show you" he said, pulling her outside.

Just behind the cabin, sheltered by the trees, was a small hot tub, just big enough for two.

"I didn't know this was here!"

Mwu grinned. "I know. That's why it was a surprise. You want to go in?"

Their glasses clinked together in a toast, a celebration of their marriage. Mwu had sneaked the bottle of champagne in his luggage without letting her know, and it made the evening even more perfect.

"Five years, huh?"

She nodded, nestling closer to him in the tiny tub as the hot water bubbled around them. "It feels like a dream sometimes.." she whispered.

"After what happened to him... then at Jachin Due...I...I never thought I could ever have something like this, that I would be like this..."

Mwu kissed her gently. "Well, now that you do, are you happy?"

"Of course I am. I have everything I ever wanted, everything I never thought I could have. How could I not be happy?"

Mwu lifted his glass to Murrue's again. "Here's to five more years?"

Murrue smiled, and returned the toast.

"Here's to forever.."

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( I have to stop daydreaming at work. I've written way too much fluff...

Thirty chapters, huh? (well, thirty-one now) Wow. Thanks for sticking with me, and reviewing this mess of fluff and fangirliness. Please read and review this one too, okay :laughs: )


	32. Rememberance

The battle was in full swing. Beam fire and projectiles shot across the emptiness of space like a macabre firework display, decimating all those unfortunate enough to be in their path.

The _Archangel_ was in battle against the ZAFT ship _Minerva_. No-one among the Orb ship's crew wanted to fight against the other ship, but they knew that they had no choice if they wanted to save their homeland.

_Archangel_'s captain, Murrue Ramius, frowned as she watched the ZAFT ship's movements on screen.

She had met her counterpart, Talia Gladys, before at Morgenroete, and had imagined that if they had met under different circumstances, they could have been friends.

_She's doing as she's been ordered, just as I am..._

"Where is Akatsuki?" she asked, turning to Miriallia.

"Near the ZAFT lines. It's fighting with Infinite Justice!" replied the younger girl.

Murrue sighed. Colonel Lorrnoke had taken off in the golden Orb mobile suit in order to fight for them. While she knew that he could take care of himself, she felt guilty for some reason. He had joined the crew because he had nowhere else to go, and although Murrue harboured a secret hope that he had joined them because he wanted to be with her, she had to be realistic.

_He has no real reason to be out there. He didn't have to sign up and become part of the Orb military, and __he didn't have to go out there..._

As_ Archangel _and _Minerva_ continued to dodge and exchange fire, Akatsuki was heading back towards it's ship.

Neo knew he needed to help that boy Athrun take out the Requiem, but for some reason, he felt like he had to get back and see how _Archangel _was holding out.

_That ship is the only home I've got. I have to protect it. I have to protect **her...**_

Up ahead, he could see the familiar lines of the Orb battleship, as it fired and was fired upon by the ZAFT warship.

_Good, still hanging in there..._

All of a sudden, _Minerva_ swung it's bow around to directly face _Archangel_, and a shimmering light began to form at it's nose.

_What...that's their positron cannon...they can't..._

Neo pushed Akatsuki's verniers to their limits, and the golden mobile suit shot towards the two ships.

_I can't let it happen! Not again!_

Again? This had happened before? Why had he just thought that?

"Captain! _Minerva_ has just activated it's positron cannon!"

Murrue turned to face Chandra, aghast. "Dammit!"

The Clyne Faction ship _Eternal_ was just behind the _Archangel_. It had barely any weapons, and certainly wasn't well shielded enough to survive a hit from a cannon like that. And they wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time...

_If our ship moves, Eternal will..._

The beam shot from _Minerva_'s bow straight towards their bridge, a red beam of death that was unavoidable.

Murrue pressed back in her chair, an expression of absolute terror on her face.

_So, this is it. Just like before. Only this time, he's not there to save me..._

The blast was just about to hit the bridge, when it was stopped by something.

A golden mobile suit.

Akatsuki.

Murrue gasped. _Not again, it's happening again, it's just the same! Please, I don't want him to leave me too!_

The positron blast hit Akatsuki full force, causing alarms to blare in the cockpit. Neo grimaced as he struggled to hold the shield in place against the fire. He knew that the mobile suit's mirror coating should protect it to some degree, but whether it would hold up...

_No, that doesn't matter. Whatever happens to me, I have to finish this!_

"I won't let you destroy the _Archangel_!"

The ship was everything to him, and if Neo could protect it, and the one person in the world he remembered without a doubt, then it was worth it, even if he was killed in the process...

The Akatsuki glowed a brilliant white as it absorbed and dispersed all the energy from the enemy weapon, and the bright light triggered something in Neo's mind...

A cascade of images tumbled through his mind, making his blue eyes widen in surprise. What was this? What was he seeing?

_They feel like...memories?_

Places, people, sounds, smells, they all hit him at once. A lifetime forgotten, almost three decades of a past that had been missing for so long. Trying to make sense of what was happening, Neo gasped as he saw someone very familiar...

An auburn-haired woman with haunting marigold eyes. He remembered teasing her, kissing her, being with her..

The memories of her caused emotions to bubble up in his heart. They were already there for her, but now the feelings were even stronger...

"Murrue..."

_Now I remember, and now I know why I wanted to stay on the ship. Because my heart remembered her, even __if my mind didn't. I love her, more than anything..._

Other memories surged to the surface, of being with the Earth Alliance, of the Extended children, of himself, covered in bandages and hooked up to machinery after...after he had almost been killed saving the _Archangel._

Just like this time...

"I'm..."

_I'm not Neo. Now I understand. Neo was the name I was given after my memories had been lost. I just assumed __that that was who I was, who I had always been. But I'm not._

_My name is Mwu La Fllaga..._

Murrue sat motionless in the captain's chair, tears threatening to build up in her eyes. He had...Akatsuki was nowhere to be seen..

_He's gone...just like before...I..._

"It's all right!"

Akatsuki shot up in front of _Archangel_'s bridge, and the Colonel's face appeared on the screen.

"I won't go anywhere anymore!"

Murrue gasped. He was alive? Her heart began pounding for a reason she couldn't explain.

Akatsuki fired off it's DRAGOONS as the heavily damaged _Minerva_ fired again, and they formed a protective barrier around the _Archangel_, deflecting the beam.

Neo's image on the screen smiled.

"Let's finish this and go home, Murrue.."

_Murrue? He..he called me by my first name? He...that's not Neo..._

Tears built up in Murrue's eyes, tears of pure happiness. He remembered her...he was back, back to the way he should be.

"Mwu!"

_This means we have another chance together. A chance at the future that was stolen from us.._

Mwu smiled gently as he saw the tears in Murrue's eyes, and the happy smile on her face.

_Yes, let's go home after this is all over. Home together..._

_----------------------------------------------------------_

( Lol. What can I say? Not as good as I'd hoped it might be, but, meh, it's the weekend again, which means I didn't have chance to daydream at work. That's where I get all my inspiration, y'see.

Please read and review! )


	33. Changes

They were redecorating. Mwu didn't see the point in it at all, after all, there was nothing wrong with the house as it was, but Murrue had put her foot down. She said that because it was exactly the same as it had been when the last family had lived in it, it felt like they were still strangers here, or lodgers, or something.  
Mwu had done his best to try and talk her out of it, but to no avail. She had made her mind up, and that was it.  
And she had known perfectly well that he wouldn't be able to refuse her.  
_She's had me wrapped round her little finger from the moment we moved in together..I should be mad about letting that happen, but...instead, it makes me happy._

So that morning had been all about moving furniture, and covering it in dust cloths, and now it had come to the painting. Tester pots sat here and there, with little dabs of paint on the wall to see what the colour would look like. Mwu couldn't help grinning. She had planned all this out before she had ever mentioned the idea of redecoration to him.  
In the sitting room, Murrue was painting the ceiling with a roller on a long pole. Her dark auburn hair was tied up out of the way, and covered in a headscarf. She looked so funny, he had to laugh, which made her turn around.  
"What?"  
"What's that on your head?" Mwu asked, still chuckling.  
"I didn't want to get paint in my hair, that's all.." she replied, continuing with her work. But it was clear she was having trouble, struggling with the heavy pole.  
"Are your arms hurting?"  
She shook her head, a lock of hair falling into her eyes. "No, I'm okay"

Mwu knew that even if Murrue's arms were killing her, she wouldn't give up and let him do it, she was far too stubborn for that. So instead of taking the roller from her, he walked over and lifted her up slightly, so her arms wouldn't be so stretched.  
"Is that better?"  
She huffed, but smiled. "I said that I was okay"  
"Yeah, but you always say that. Even when you aren't. Where do you want to paint next?"  
She pointed over to the far corner. "That's the only place I haven't done yet"  
Mwu carried her over to the unpainted spot, but tripped over the paint tray which lay on the floor, and fell backwards, Murrue landing on top of him.  
"Oof!"  
He looked up to see her staring down at him, her face inches from his own, her marigold eyes focused on his blue ones.  
"Are you hurt? You're so clumsy!"  
"Nah, I'm fine."  
She saw he had a smudge of paint on the end of his nose, and began giggling.  
"Hey, what are you laughing at?" She didn't answer, just buried her face in his chest, shaking with her laughter.  
"All right, missy, I'll give you something to laugh about!" Mwu grabbed Murrue's waist, and began tickling her sides. She squealed and tried to escape, laughing, and attacking him with the paint roller, until they were both covered in cream paint.  
"Aww, now look what you did..." she fussed, getting up off the floor.  
"Me? You started it!"  
"I'm going to go wash this.." she said, brandishing the roller, "and then myself.."

"But you didn't finish!" he yelled after her as she walked away.

After she had walked off, Mwu lay there on the sitting room floor, thinking about how much Murrue had changed.  
_She's so affectionate now...Well, she always was before with me, when we were together, but only when it was just the two of us alone. Now she doesn't hide her emotions away, and I'm finally getting to see the true Murrue Ramius.  
_Of course, she still acted reserved around people she didn't know, but everyone did that, didn't they?  
And she still went into 'Captain Ramius' mode when she was really angry. Mwu had never been able to win an argument with her yet because of that.  
_And I don't think I ever will..._

A few moments later, Mwu went to find her. He hadn't heard the sound of water running, so she hadn't gone to clean out the roller as she said.  
"Murrue? Where are you?"  
When she didn't answer, he checked every room upstairs until he found her.  
She was standing in one of the other bedrooms in the house, just staring into space. This room had belonged to a child of the previous family to live here, seemingly only a baby.  
The room was still decorated in pastel shades, with characters from nursery rhymes painted on the walls. A chart with the alphabet on still hung on the door, and a tiny cradle covered by a sheet stood in the corner.  
"Murrue? Are you okay, honey?"  
She remained silent, and Mwu wasn't convinced she had even heard him. Walking up to her, he embraced her from behind, kissing her cheek.  
"Hey, princess, what's wrong?"  
She turned to face him, and he was surprised to see a wistful, faraway look on her beautiful face.  
"This room.." she said quietly, sounding almost dreamy, "do we have to change it? Can't we leave it like this?"  
She buried her face in his chest, and Mwu had to strain to hear her next sentence.  
" After all, we...we...might need it one day..."

Murrue couldn't believe she'd said something like that. They'd only been living together for a month or so, far too soon for them to discuss their future.

_I want to stay with Mwu for always, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way. But I...I shouldn't have mentioned something like this so early...what must he think?_

_  
_"I - I mean...I..." she stuttered, looking up at him. She was rather afraid of what Mwu's reaction would be to her outburst, but instead of frowning, or looking surprised, his handsome features wore a smile of pure delight.  
"I'm glad you feel that way..." he said, pulling her closer into his embrace.  
Murrue's mind was spinning. Did this mean that Mwu wanted children one day? It certainly sounded like it.  
"Do you mean you..." she mumbled, not able to finish the sentence.  
"Sure. I'd love a kid of my own some day. I was just worried about what **you** would think, after all, we haven't been living together very long"  
Murrue almost laughed. So he had been thinking the same thing? Looking up at her lover, she smiled cheerfully.  
"One day then, huh? When you've grown up a bit"  
Mwu pretended to be mad, but he couldn't hide the boyish grin on his face.  
"What do you mean, when I've grown up?"

Later that day, Murrue wandered downstairs, stretching out her arms. She ached all over from where she and Mwu had been moving furniture around, rearranging sofas and cupboards. She also felt guilty about making him move so much stuff, as she had kept changing her mind about where she wanted things to go.  
_I'll make him something nice for dinner, he deserves it for putting up with me and not complaining** once**.  
_"Mwu? Where did you go?"  
She couldn't understand why she couldn't find him, after all, it's not like he was hard to spot or anything.  
"Mwu?"  
A faint snore reached her ears from behind a mass of furniture, and she peeked around to see him sprawled out on the sitting room sofa (which was hidden behind the cupboards) fast asleep.  
His long golden hair had fallen across his face, and the paint smudge was still on his nose. He had a smile on his face, and it seemed as if his dream was a happy one.  
Murrue grinned, and leaning forward, gently brushed the hair from his eyes.  
_Even though he must have seen and done some awful things in the last two years, which he still won't tell me about, he's hardly changed at all. Of course, Neo will always be a part of him, but it seems as though Neo protected Mwu in some way, keeping his heart safe. Whatever happened to him while he was gone, he's still as innocent and happy as he ever was.  
The same man I fell in love with..._

Climbing over a set of dresser drawers, she settled down on the sofa beside him.  
_I must have tired him out. I made him do so much work today...he deserves this rest.  
_Very gently, Murrue pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss, stifling a giggle when his smile grew in his slumber.  
She snuggled close to him and laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she felt the steady thump of his heartbeat, and the rise and fall of his breathing.  
_He's so warm...I wish we could stay like this forever. When it all feels like a dream, this is all I need,  
the feel and sound of his heartbeat and breath, to know that he's really here, that he's with me, and he won't ever have to leave me again.  
_Worn out from the day's work, and lulled by the rhythm of her beloved's heart, Murrue fell asleep beside him, a smile of pure happiness on her face.

---------------------------------------------------  
( One day, I will write something more serious, I promise. But until then, it just be teh fluff XD Please read and review! )


	34. Kagami: Mirror

"Hey kid, have you seen the Comm - sorry, the Colonel, this morning?"

Athrun looked down from the cockpit of the Infinite Justice at Murdoch standing below.

"No, I haven't. Why, is he supposed to be here?"

Murdoch sighed. "He was supposed to be on shift an hour ago, to do maintenance checks on Akatsuki..."

"Want me to go look for him?"

Athrun drifted down the silent corridors of _Archangel_. He wasn't sure where the Colonel would be, but normally if he wasn't in his room, he should be with Captain Ramius.

As he passed by the observation deck, a flash of blonde caught his eye.

"Colonel?"

Neo Lorrnoke was just standing there, looking out into the port of Copernicus, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hey, what's wrong? You were meant to be on shift an hour ago...Murdoch's kinda mad.."

The Colonel turned to him and smiled, but the expression didn't reach his eyes.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking, that's all.."

Athrun frowned. "About what?"

The older man sighed, and leaned his head against the window. "I've found myself thinking about this more and more lately. When I was first brought on board this ship, as a prisoner, everyone thought that I was this 'Mwu' person. It made me angry then, but now...I'm curious. What was he like? This Mwu?"

Athrun ran his hand through his navy hair. "To be honest, I don't really know. I only met Commander La Fllaga a few times, mostly I was on _Eternal_...He seemed like a nice guy, and I know he was very brave, as he gave his life to save this ship.

Kira would know what he was like. Why don't you ask _him_?"

Neo shook his head. "No. That kid always calls me 'Mwu', regardless of who I am. Maybe I am this 'Mwu', but at the moment, being called by someone else's name makes me uncomfortable. And sometimes, it feels like he's looking through me rather than _at_ me, like he's looking at someone I can't see..."

Athrun nodded. "Kira really looked up to the Commander, he was the one who gave Kira the confidence to pilot in the first place. He told me that he could never repay him for everything he'd done, so when he found you, he said that the least he could do was to bring you back to where you belonged, and to where the Captain was waiting.."

"Hey, now there's a thought!" Athrun said suddenly. "The best person you could ask to find out about the Commander would be..."

"No!" said Neo sternly. "I can't ask her about him. Not the Captain. Practically all I've done since I met her is make her cry. She's just begun to accept me, and asking her about him...I can't do that to her..."

He sighed and looked at the floor, his blue eyes troubled. "It doesn't matter...if you don't know anything about him. I just...ever since I was brought onto this ship, I've felt like I'm becoming someone else. I have weird dreams where I see places I've never been, and people I've never met. And once, when I looked in a mirror, I saw myself with shorter hair, and without **this**." Neo tapped the long livid scar that stretched across his nose and cheekbones.

He then glanced up at Athrun. "Is that what he looked like?"

At the boy's nod, he smiled ruefully. "I figured that. You see, even though I should be kinda scared of changing into another person, I'm not. It's just that, if I'm becoming someone else, I'd like to know what that person was like..."

Athrun looked thoughtful. "Well...compared to how you were when I first met you...you're much more cheerful now. You're less sarcastic, and you smile a lot more.."

Neo nodded. "That's what I was thinking. It feels natural, like I'm _supposed_ to be this way. That's why I'm not worried. And ...and it seems to make the Captain happy, so..." He looked down, a faint trace of pink on his cheeks.

The younger man hid a smile. _He's definitely the Commander..._

"After the battle at Jachin Due...after he had died...the Captain was heartbroken. Since they had kept their relationship pretty secret, no-one really knew how much she and the Commander had loved each other. But afterwards, when he had gone, we all saw. She must have adored him. She's very good at hiding her pain, so we only ever saw a glimpse of what she must have been feeling. But it took her a long time to smile properly again...

What she was really like around Mwu..only they know for sure. But she sure seems happy around you..."

Neo's face lit up for a moment, but then the troubled expression returned.

"I...I don't know how I feel about her for sure..Sometimes it feels like a crush...but sometimes it feels like I've loved her, _really _loved her, for a long time. I want to be with her.. to make her smile, but I could never replace Mwu for her, since she loved him so much. All I know is that being around her feels right, like it's where I should be, so that's where I'll stay for as long as it takes to work this all out...but how...how does she feel about **me**?"

"I'm sure she likes you. She certainly thinks of you as a friend, you can see that from her reactions to you.."

Neo put his hand to the glass window, the coolness soothing him.

"She let me stay here, and I'm grateful for that...but did she only let me stay because I look and act like Mwu?"

"Do you really think the Captain is that shallow? She let you stay because you wanted to, and because she wanted _you_ to stay. I'm sure of it."

Athrun grinned as the Colonel's earlier words struck home.

"Besides, how do you know you're acting like the Commander? How would you know how he acted?"

Neo blinked. _I never thought about that..._

"I...I don't know..I never...somehow I just knew...While you were here...when he was here..did he stay by the Captain's side like I do?"

The boy smiled again, and nodded. "Always."

Neo smiled too, this time, the smile reaching his bright blue eyes. "Then if I am becoming him, this Mwu, at least I'll still be where I feel I belong, and happy. And maybe one day, she'll look at me the same way she did when I woke up here..but smiling instead of crying..."

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( Today, we have introspective Neo-san. I mean, if someone kept saying that I was another person, I'd be mad, but at the same time, curious to know what this other 'me' was like.

And I chose Athrun for Neo-san to talk to because Athrun is the only one (except maybe Murrue-san) who's on the ship and doesn't always think of him as Mwu. Neo-san seems kinda uncomfortable around Kira-chan to me...

Please read and review! )


	35. Kinou: Yesterday

_What time is it?..._

The sun streamed brightly through the window, causing the man in the bed to wince and turn his head away.

_Guess I forgot to shut the curtains..I have a real headache too..._

The man tried to get up, to shut out the bright light, but something prevented him from moving. His right arm was wrapped around someone's waist. His attempted movement had caused that someone to mumble and snuggle even closer to him.

Mwu blinked, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking down at the person beside him.

Murrue was sound asleep, a small smile gracing her lips, and her cheeks were flushed a pale pink.

Her dark auburn hair was a tangled mess, half of it falling around her face, and half piled atop her head, garlanded with white flowers.

_Oh, we forgot about the flowers...I guess it was because we had other things to think about last night..._

It **had** been their wedding night, after all.

He and Murrue had been married yesterday, in a tiny ceremony only attended by their closest friends. After the wedding, the reception and party to celebrate had been held in one of the rooms in Government House.

Both Mwu and Murrue had protested at this, but Cagalli wouldn't hear any complaints, saying that they had both helped save Orb, and that they were both her friends.

The party had lasted well into the late evening, with a spectacular chocolate wedding cake that had been made by Kira's mother Caridad, and buffet food, like canapes, pizza fingers, and sausage rolls. There had also been a bar set up, and the officers of the _Archangel_ had been propping it up all night, including Mwu himself.

_Ah, so that's why I have such a headache..._

There had also been music, and interspersed with the dance and pop tunes, had been slow, romantic songs, which had made all the couples in the room begin dancing. The centre of the floor had been reserved for the happy couple, of course.

Mwu hadn't wanted to dance, but Murrue had made him, taking his arm and dragging him into the middle of the room.

Once they had begun to dance, Mwu had found that he was actually okay about it. Murrue's white wedding dress had swirled around with every step they took, and that, together with the almost incandescently happy expression on her face, had made her look like a princess, or an angel.

The rest of the party had passed in a daze. He remembered seeing Murrue down a couple of glasses of something nasty-looking in one go, and he had remembered Kira passing out in a corner, but other than that, not much.

_Odd really. I don't remember the rest of the party, but what happened afterwards is crystal clear..._

A car had taken the newlyweds home, and once inside...

Mwu looked around at the bedroom. Murrue's wedding dress was hanging over the railing of the loft, where it had been thrown last night. He smiled as he remembered trying to unfasten the fiddly little buttons on the back of the garment, until she had lost patience and slipped it over her head. That must have been what messed up her hair...

Peering around, he could see clothes everywhere, just lying where they had fallen.

_Boy, that was some night. I don't know what time it was when we finally got to sleep, but it must have been really early __morning.._

He reached out a hand and gently brushed aside the tangled hair that was partly covering his new wife's face.

_Now she and I are bound together forever..I'll protect her, and take care of her. I love her so much..._

Kissing Murrue on the forehead, he laid back down next to her, pulling her further into his arms, and fell back asleep.

An hour later, Murrue awoke. She blinked her wide marigold eyes against the daylight, then smiled. She felt so happy, but she couldn't put her finger on why that was for a moment. All she knew is that she felt so warm and comfortable, she could almost fall asleep again. Her cheek was resting on something warm, and with every breath she took, she caught the scent of aftershave.

_But it's the same every morning. So why does it make me so much happier today?_

Raising her arms above the bed, she stretched, then caught sight of the gold band on her left ring finger.

_Oh, that's right...I'm married now...Mwu's my husband.._

Murrue stifled a giggle at the realisation of why she felt so tired. Their wedding night had certainly been a memorable one, the passion lasting into the early hours of the morning. The bedcovers were rumpled, and there were clothes everywhere.

Sitting up slightly, she pressed a soft kiss to her new husband's lips, causing him to stir, his blue eyes cracking open.

"Oh hey, good morning..." he mumbled, smiling.

"Good morning..well, I think it's morning. But it was morning when we got to sleep..." she replied.

"Techically, whenever you wake up, it's morning.."

Murrue frowned. "That doesn't make sense..."

Mwu shrugged, then grinned. "So how's it feel being a wife, Murrue La Fllaga?"

She blushed. "Not much different from being a fiancee, but the new name will take some getting used to.."

"And what about you? What's being a husband like?"

He held out his scarred arm above the bed, gazing at the wedding band on his left hand.

"Wearing this feels strange still, but I kinda like it. Since I'll be wearing it for always..."

Murrue sighed happily and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his muscular chest.

"You always know the right things to say..."

Mwu laughed, and stroked her back with his strong hands. "Yup. How about this one? I love you."

Raising up on her elbows, Murrue pressed her lips to his in a long, passionate kiss.

"I love you too..."

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( I have mental problems, I must do..

It might be a bit disjointed, but it sure was fun to write..

Please read and review! )


	36. Bijinsan: Miss Beautiful

( Okay, I know someone else, Darth Riven, I think, has written a story like this. But I wanted my own go at it. I promise I didn't copy any of that earlier story. )

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The landscape was cold and snowy. Buildings still blazed from the earlier battle, and wreckage of homes and mobile suits littered the once beautiful city. One such mobile suit lay face down on a street, a trail of devastation behind it from where it had crashed to the ground.

But no-one was concerned with the suit, only it's pilot. A man in a black uniform, with long golden hair, lay unconcious on the snow-covered ground.

A woman stood before his form, an expression of shock on her pale face.

_It's him...it's Mwu...but how?_

His face was the same as Murrue remembered it, handsome and proud. But that scar...the long scar that stretched across that face...how had he got it?

_And if he was alive all this time...why didn't he come back to me? Why is he with the Earth Alliance?_

Turning to the soldiers who had accompanied her, she motioned to them to pick up the man.

"Take him to sickbay, and have the doctors check him out and run tests on him, okay?"

As the soldiers lifted Mwu from where he had fallen, Murrue touched his hand gently, to make sure he was alive, and this wasn't all some dream. His skin was cold, but she could feel his pulse beating strongly.

Letting go, she bent down and picked up the metal helmet that had lain near his body. It was expressionless and dark, and she didn't like it one bit. Placing it back on the ground, she walked away.

_That can stay here. He doesn't need something like that..._

Later, when Murrue entered _Archangel_'s sickbay after the ship had helped out clearing up the aftermath of the battle, the doctor turned to her with a smile.

"Ah, Captain. I thought you might want to see this.." He handed over a sheaf of papers, which she assumed were the results of the tests they had run.

Flipping through the sheets, Murrue's face lit up, and her heart skipped a beat in pure joy. The results were clear, a perfect match. It was him, really him...

Mwu lay fast asleep in one of the beds, breathing deeply, a drip in his right arm. But he...his arms were...

"Why is he restrained? He's not a prisoner..."

The doctor frowned.

"Before you got here, he woke up for a moment. He looked around as if he was somewhere unfamiliar to him, and said this..."

As the doctor spoke, the joy and happiness Murrue had felt slowly died away, to be replaced by confusion and uncertainty.

_He...he said that? Why..._

Wanting to be with him regardless, Murrue sat by his bedside, watching Mwu as he slept. Everything was the same as she remembered, the way he looked, the way he was built, the colour of his hair..even the way he smelt...

This man...he **had** to be Mwu. The results had said as much. But if so, then why had he...

She reached out a hand, wanting to touch his face, but pulled away just before her fingers made contact with his skin, almost as if she was afraid.

_Why am I scared? It's him, it's Mwu, he's alive! So why am I so scared?_

She heard the hiss of the sickbay door, and turned to see Murdoch enter. He had been Mwu's good friend, and it had been a given that he would come to see him.

"You okay, Captain? If you want to take a break, I can stay here..."

Murrue shook her head, auburn hair flying with the gesture. "No, it's all right..I want to stay..stay with him.."

The door hissed again, and Kira walked in. Kira was the one who had found Mwu out there, and shot down the mobile suit he had been piloting so that the _Archangel_ could pick him up.

"Is he still asleep?" asked the young man.

Murrue nodded. "Yes. But apparently he woke up during treatment, and said that he was Colonel Neo Lorrnoke of the Earth Alliance's 81st Independent Manuever Squadron.."

She looked down, the confusion evident on her face. "But when the doctors checked his data against the records in the ship's database, they found a 100 match. This man...is Mwu La Fllaga.."

Her marigold eyes closed, the pain in them clear to Kira and Murdoch. "Or at least...physically, anyway."

_How can that be? Why would Mwu say something like that?_

Murdoch scowled, not understanding a word of this. "So what does this mean? This guy is the Commander, right?"

Kira nodded. "Yes, there's no doubt about it.."

Murrue was glad Kira seemed so certain. Before the doctor had told her what Mwu had said, she hadn't doubted it either.

But now...what did she believe?

"My, my, how disappointing. When did I become a Commander?"

The voice was so familiar, the sound hit Murrue like a bolt of electricity. She jumped to her feet so fast, the stool she had been sitting on tipped over, the sound echoing through the room.

Mwu was awake, and looking up at them. But something was wrong. His eyes, they were the same shade, the same cobalt blue that Murrue remembered. But..there seemed to be none of that twinkle, the spark that was so familiar to her. There was nothing there...

"Didn't I say that I was a Colonel? Don't demote me on your own convienience!" He tugged at the restraining bonds around his wrists, clearly not noticing the horrified expressions on the faces of Kira and Murdoch.

Murrue couldn't take it anymore.

_He...he doesn't know where he is. And the voice...it's him, but it isn't him. Mwu's voice was always caring, even when he __was being serious. This...it's..._

She stood there, frozen to the spot, tears building up in her eyes.

Neo was angry, and confused. Last thing he remembered, he'd been in his Windam, being shot down by that annoying Orb mobile suit...Freedom, wasn't it? Now here he was, tied to a bed in some sort of hospital, with strange people looking down at him. And saying he was a Commander, of all things.

Looking up, Neo saw the woman that had been sitting by his bed. She had tears in her eyes, and as he watched, they ran down her cheeks as she pressed a hand to her mouth.

_Too bad she's an enemy, she's gorgeous. But why is she crying?_

"W-what is it?" he asked, smirking. "Did you fall in love with me at first sight, Miss Beautiful?"

The woman stepped back, the tears falling harder. Then she turned and ran out of the room.

The boy and the older man who had been standing behind the beautiful woman looked shocked and angry at him. Neo didn't understand why. He had just woken up here, and now he was being treated like he'd done something terrible.

"Mwu-san!" shouted the boy in anger.

_Mwu-san...wait. Did this bunch get me confused with someone else? Is that why that woman was crying?_

Neo frowned. "Who's this 'Mwu'?"

Murrue huddled against the wall outside sickbay, the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her heart...it hurt so much...

_He didn't know me...he doesn't remember me..._

When he had said those things to her...his smile had been...there was only sarcasm in that smile. None of her belovedMwu's kindness, just cold indifference. That look he had given her as he saw her tears, that look of blank confusion...that had hurt more than his words ever could have.

_I thought...I thought I was over him...but I'm not...and I never will be. I love him, just as much as I did two __years ago.._

It felt like a wound that had been scabbed over, and seeing that...that man in sickbay had reopened that wound.

The pain she had felt at losing him, and the pain she felt now at his not remembering her combined together was almost too much for her to handle, and all she could do was cry, hugging her chest as though she was trying to mend her broken heart.

_It's like Mwu's here...but he isn't..._

Murrue felt a comforting arm around her shoulder, and looked up through her tears to see Miriallia was there.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go to your room for a bit?"

Murrue could only nod, not trusting herself to speak, and Miriallia led her gently away from sickbay.

In her darkened room, Murrue sat alone on the bed, still sobbing. She was angry at herself for letting this affect her so much, but he had brought it all back, and it was only now she realised how much she still missed Mwu.

_I buried them..Ihid my feelings for him away...I thought they wouldn't bother me again..._

How wrong she had been. Murrueonly realised nowthat her love for Mwu had only stayed dormant, not disappeared.

_Why did he have to come back? Why did he have to forget me? Doesn't he know that I could never forget **him**?_

Getting to her feet, the auburn-haired woman walked over to the desk on the far side of her room, and picked up the only two things she had besides her memories to remind her of her dead lover.

His uniform hat, which she had found a few hours after Jachin Due, and which she had been able to salvage from the wreckage of the house she had lived in, which those Asshu suits had destroyed.

_It felt like he had kept it safe for me, like he was reminding me he was still there..._

The other memento was a photograph, taken on _Archangel_'s bridge, a photograph of Mwu, herself, and Natarle.

Natarle's shocked expression always made Murrue smile, and the playful and happy smile on Mwu's face...

_That's my Mwu. The one I love. This man in sickbay...he can't be him..._

A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. A muffled voice came through the metal.

"Murrue-san, are you there?"

Opening the door, she managed a shaky smile as she saw Kira standing there. He looked worried.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry..."

Murrue wiped the remaining tears from her marigold eyes (which she was sure must be red-rimmed) and nodded.

Kira frowned, and looked at the floor. "I didn't know that would happen..I thought that..." He looked up, earnestness in those violet orbs. "But I promise you...he _is_ Mwu-san, I'm sure of it. I just...**know**. I'm sure he's just lost his memories somehow.."

Murrue scrubbed at her eyes again, not wanting to cry in front of the boy. Kira placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.

"One day, he'll remember you again, Murrue-san. One day you can be together again, and happy. I can feel it."

Murrue smiled, more genuinely this time.

_I hope he's right..._

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( Aww, teh angst! I wanted to write my own version of phase 33. I know that it seems kinda lazy of me, but meh lol.

I remember being so mad at Neo-san when he said those things to Murrue-san, but I guess he was just confused. But I still wanted to smack him for it, for making her cry.

It also makes you realise just how much Murrue-san must have loved Mwu, since even after two years, she was heartbroken when she realised he didn't remember her. Poor thing. At least she gets her happy ending...

Please read and review! )


	37. Inochi: Life

( Hello! This is another AU type fic, what if Mwu had been found by _Archangel_ after what happened to Strike? I know MapleRose has already written one like this, and I assure everyone that this isn't a copy of hers (for a start she's a much better writer than me). Hope it's okay! )

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The light was too bright. It burned through his eyelids, forcing him awake, even though every part of him just wanted to sleep. Gradually, other things registered to his fuzzy mind, the feel of a bed beneath him, the smell of antiseptic. And pain. Burning pain all throughout his body.

He opened his eyes, then quickly squeezed them shut again, blinking rapidly to get used to the light.

"Where am I?" He hardly recognised his own voice, instead of the loud cheerful tone he was used to hearing, what came out was little more than a hoarse whisper.

"You're in _Archangel_'s sickbay. How are you feeling?"

The voice came from his left, and slowly, painfully, he turned to face the speaker. It was the ship's doctor.

"The ship is safe?"

The doctor smiled kindly. "Yes, thanks to you, Commander."

Mwu closed his eyes again. "But how can I be here? I shouldn't have survived that..."

The doctor sighed. "To be honest, we're not sure. As far as we can tell, the Strike's shield protected the cockpit section and kept it intact. But the diagnostic board in the cockpit exploded. Your pilot suit was completely shredded, and you ended up with internal injuries, as well as several shrapnel wounds. If it hadn't been for them finding you so quickly, you certainly wouldn't have survived. As it was, it was touch and go for a while."

"Will...I be okay now?"

"Yes, you're out of danger now. You'll have some lovely scars, including one right across your nose, but you're very lucky to be alive."

Mwu chuckled softly, wincing at the pain the movement caused him. "I don't _feel _lucky..."

The doctor only smiled. "You think so? Look to your right..."

Mwu managed to turn his head to his other side, and saw her.She was sitting beside his bed, her head pillowed on her arms, hair spilling over her face, fast asleep.

"Murrue..."

"You've been unconcious for three weeks," said the doctor quietly, "and during that time, the Captain's barely left your side, except when she had to. Practically every waking moment, she's been here. I asked her several times to go to her room and get some decent sleep, but she always refused. I don't know about you, but **I'd** sure as hell feel lucky if I had someone like her..."

Mwu just stared at the sleeping woman. Murrue looked the same as she always did, neat and tidy, uniform perfect, hair shining. But her face...her face was etched with lines of worry, and there were black rings underneath her red-rimmed eyes.

_She's like this because of me?_

Stiffly, slowly, Mwu stretched out a hand, and brushed the dark auburn hair from Murrue's face, then took one of her small hands in his, entwining their fingers together.

_My Murrue..._

He smiled to himself as he fell asleep again, happy in the thought that she was there with him.

A few hours later, Murrue's eyelids fluttered, and she awoke. She hadn't let herself sleep more than a few hours at a time since they had brought Mwu back on board, scared for some reason, even though he was out of the woods, that he wouldn't ever wake up..

Her neck was stiff, and her eyes felt heavy.

_I'm so tired...but something woke me up. What was it?_

Her left hand felt warm for some reason, and she looked down, her marigold eyes widening as she saw her hand clasped in Mwu's.

"He woke up?" she asked, her heart jumping.

The nurse on duty smiled. "Yes, he did, for a few moments. He was so happy to see you..."

Very gently, Murrue unthreaded her fingers from Mwu's, and took his hand in both of hers, stroking it softly.

"I wish I'd been awake..." she whispered, closing her eyes.

She started in shock as she felt her hand being squeezed weakly.

Mwu was awake. His blue eyes, practically the only part of his face she could see under the bandages, were filled with pain, but at the same time, happiness.

"I'm so glad you're okay.." he whispered. "Is the war over yet?"

Murrue smiled, and nodded. "Yes, my love, the war is over. We can all go home now.."

Mwu managed a laugh. "Home. Now, where is that again?"

"Orb, I guess. It's the only place we can go. Are you all right with that?"

He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Sure, if I'm with you..can we be together? Like we planned?"

She nodded silently, smiling even though the tears had begun to trickle down her cheeks.

Mwu's eyebrows dipped in an approximation of a frown. "Hey, what's the matter?"

His arm moved slowly up to her face, bandaged fingers brushing against her cheeks, wiping the tears away.

Murrue held his hand to her face with her own, still stroking his fingers.

"I...I was so scared..." she sobbed. "That you were going to leave me...before K-kira-kun found you...I - I thought that I was alone again..." She hiccuped as the tears fell.

"I'm so sorry, Murrue" Mwu said. "But I had to do it..please understand. If I had to, I'd do it again. It wouldn't have worked...if I had lived and you had died, because...because..." His voice was getting fainter and fainter as fatigue overtook him again, and Murrue had to strain to hear his last sentence.

His voice was barely above a whisper, and she only** thought **she heard what he said, but the words were...

"_I...I..don't think...I could have...lived without you..."_

Her tears fell freely. She couldn't believe he'd said something like that..it made her so happy she could hardly breathe. Had he really said it? And had he meant it?

Leaning forward, she pressed her lips ever so gently against his dry ones in a light kiss, a tear falling onto his face and soaking into the bandages.

"Thank you, Mwu. For making the impossible possible, and for keeping your word. I'll be here when you wake up again, by your side, and that's where I'll stay forever..."

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( :smile smile smile: Now **that** is fluff. That's how Seed should have ended for those two in my opinion, instead of him being dead then magically plotholed back to life XO. It would have been nice to see them together from the beginning in Destiny. I wonder how life would have been for them?

Please read and review! )


	38. Guilty

The house was empty and silent. The lights were on, and the place was warm and inviting, but it was empty. Mwu looked around, peeking in every room for his wife, figuring that Murrue had maybe fallen asleep somewhere, as she was prone to doing these days. But she was nowhere to be found, not even in her favourite writing spot in the attic. She might have gone shopping, but if that was the case, shouldn't she have left him a note?

Mwu sat there on the sofa for an hour, with no sign of her. Finally, the door opened, and Murrue walked in, looking very tired.

"I'm so sorry I didn't leave a note..I didn't have time. I had to go into work to pick up some paperwork."

She sank onto the sofa beside him, resting her head against the cushions.

"You should have called me. I could have picked it up for you..."chided Mwu, brushing some of the hair out of her eyes.

She shook her head with a tired smile. "Nah, it's okay. I wanted to go out." She winced as Mwu brushed against her arm, and he noticed immediately. She tried to shrink away and hide whatever was wrong with her, but he took her arm and carefully peeled back her sleeve. There was a nasty cut on her upper arm, already cleaned and bandaged, but he was still concerned.

"Paperwork, huh?" he said, raising an eyebrow. His wife looked away.

"Okay, so after I'd picked it up, I helped out Erica and some of the guys with a ship's engine, and I caught my arm on it..."

Mwu scowled. "You shouldn't be doing that in your condition, what if you'd got badly hurt? You're meant to be on maternity leave.."

He patted her swollen stomach. "Please don't take so many risks.."

Murrue frowned. "What risks? Nothing happened to me...and it was my own decision. I can take care of myself. Stop being so overprotective!"

"I take care of you because you don't take care of _yourself!"_ snapped Mwu.

"I don't **need** taking care of! Just because you act like a child, don't treat _me_ like one!" she fired back, marigold eyes flashing in anger.

Mwu scoffed. "**I'm** a child? Tell me, who's acting the most childish at the moment?"

"I didn't ask you to always protect me!"

His normally open, happy face was flat and hard, his tone stony. "I don't protect you because anyone asked me. I do it because I wanted to. But if that's the way you feel, maybe I shouldn't have bothered."

Murrue's voice became ice cold. "Maybe you shouldn't have," she agreed, pushing herself off the sofa. Grabbing her car keys from the kitchen, she stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

She turned up an hour later at Kira and Lacus' house by the beach. She had driven around the city aimlessly for a while, not knowing where to go. She felt bad for the things she had said, but she didn't feel like she could go home right now. The two young people let her in without a word, sensing that whatever was wrong with her, or between her and Mwu, she didn't want to talk about it. She ate with them, not talking much, and not eating much either. She could see the worry in Kira and Lacus' eyes, but she never said a word.

They lent her an old nightdress belonging to Kira's mother (which was a tight fit due to the fact that she was seven and a half months pregnant), and she stayed in their guest room.

That night, Murrue's sleep was plagued by dreams, nightmares about being alone, about what it had been like when she had thought Mwu was dead. She saw Strike exploding into fragments, then her husband fading from sight. Then she saw the same thing, but with Akatsuki...

_No, not that! That didn't happen! He was okay, he came back to me!_

She snapped awake, sweat pouring from her. The moonlight streamed through the thin curtains, lighting the tiny room up as if it was daytime. Without thinking, Murrue reached out beside her, only to remember where she was when her hand hit bare mattress instead of the warm body of Mwu.

_That's right. We had a fight, didn't we? Maybe the dream was trying to warn me..._

The brightness of the moonlight made it practically impossible for her to go back to sleep, and she decided to go for a walk. The tiny house was right on the edge of the beach, and she took her time walking over the silver sand, the surf wetting her bare feet.

Her baby suddenly chose that moment to start getting restless, squirming and kicking inside her. Murrue smiled sadly, and began singing a lullaby her mother had sung to her when she was a child, trying to soothe her infant. But she got no further than the first few lines, as her voice refused to work, her throat closing up.

Instead, tears ran down her cheeks, dripping from her chin. She understood.

_Now I know why I was so mad at Mwu...it's my own fault. I'm so selfish..._

_What if I said too much? What if we...?_

The idea was almost too much to bear, and Murrue sank to her knees in the sand, her face buried in her hands, crying harder than she had in a long time.

A gentle hand in hers startled her out of her tears. The hand pulled slowly, lifting Murrue to her feet. Turning, she gasped as she saw the last person she expected to see, but the one she most _wanted_ to see.

Mwu stood there before her, blonde hair blowing in the wind. He looked sad, but was smiling slightly.

Murrue backed away for a few steps, looking at the ground.

"I guessed that you might be here," her husband began softly. "I'm glad I found you. There's something I wanted to say.."

His face was perfectly serious, no trace of a smile anywhere, and it scared Murrue.

_Is he..is this it? Did I go too far? Have I really lost him this time? I have to tell him before it's too late..._

"I'm sorry...I..." they both said at the same time, followed by nervous laughter.

Mwu smiled. "You first."

Murrue looked at the ground again, and took a deep breath.

"I'm...I'm sorry.." she stuttered. "I didn't mean..to say things like that..I - I just..I feel bad about depending on you so much all the time. It-it makes m-me f-feel so guilty when you say you'll protect me, and when you take care of me... y-you even sacrificed everything you were for me...and what have I ever done to deserve that? H-how could I-I ever repay you for what you've done?" She started to cry again, dark eyes squeezed shut in pain.

Mwu laughed, causing Murrue to look up in surprise, a little hurt. "What?"

"It's nothing.." he said, still chuckling. "It's just that...those should be my lines. It's _me_ that could never repay _you_. I protect you because it's the least I could ever do. Without you, I'd be dead several times over, on the inside as well as on the outside. Before we met, I was just a flyboy pilot, with no real goal, nothing to live for except for staying alive through the next battle. I was...empty inside. If I hadn't met you...I'd have carried on the same way, without ever knowing what I could have had. I'm sorry I seem overprotective at times, but it's just the way I feel. Because you gave my life meaning, and showed me what 'true love' meant. Now what did _I _ever do to deserve _that_?"

Murrue was awestruck, her eyes wide in astonishment. "Do you...do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do" he replied softly. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Mwu looked as sincere as she'd ever seen him, nothing like the childlike happy-go-lucky figure she knew and loved so well. It made her wonder if there was another side to him that she hadn't had chance to see yet...

Murrue smiled, and shook her head. "No..."

He wrapped her up in his strong arms, bringing her close to him. "Don't cry anymore. It's all right now, okay?"

She nodded, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn..."

Mwu lifted her off the ground, cradling her body against his. "The same goes for me. Come on, sweetheart, let's go home.."

"What about Kira-kun and Lacus-san? They need to know where I am..."

"It'll be fine. The kid knows these things without being told. I'm sure he'll know where you got to.."

Murrue wrapped her arms around Mwu's neck, and nuzzled close to him. "Okay.."

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( Lol. Sorry about that, but I kinda realised that Mwu and Murrue-san have almost a perfect relationship in my stories, and no couple are like that really, not even ones who are perfect together :laughs:

So I made them fight. But you just **knew** they were gonna make up in the end, ne?

Please read and review! )


	39. Cookies

It was Saturday. A day with no work and no school, a day for lazing about, or doing something fun. And the weather was perfect, sunny, clear and warm. The ideal day for going to an amusement park with your family.

Or at least, that was the idea.

Murrue sighed as she looked out of the open back door at the garden. Mwu had been so looking forward to taking her and the children to the new park that had opened up, but...Work had called, the academy, earlier that morning, and they needed him. Not only that, but they needed him for most of the day, and there certainly wouldn't be enough time for the park after he was done at work...

And Mwu had been called in so early that he hadn't had a chance to explain to the children why they couldn't go...

The auburn-haired woman gazed out into the garden, keeping an eye on the two girls playing. They had been so disappointed when their mother had told them what was happening. Stellar had swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled.

"_It's okay, Mama. Work must really have needed Papa, right?"_

Murrue had nodded, and hugged her eldest, grateful that even at only ten, Stellar was old enough to take this in her stride. But Lily...

Lily had cried her heart out, not really able to understand why she couldn't go, and why Papa couldn't take them like he'd promised.

Murrue had picked up the four-year-old in her arms, stroking the little girl's blonde curls, trying to soothe her.

"_It's all right, sweetie. Papa is sad too, because he was really looking forward to us all going together. But we can __go next week, okay?"_

Stellar had smiled, and tickled her little sister's feet. "_That's right, Lil. Papa promised us we could all go, and you __know Papa always keeps his promises, don't you?"_

The child had sniffed once, and nodded. _"Yep, Papa promised..."_

Murrue stepped out of the doorway, and sat on the little bench outside. She had also been disappointed, as Mwu had pointed out that there was a creche at this park, and that it would be fine to leave the kids there for a while so they could have some 'alone' time together. After all, he had told her, there were plenty of 'romantic' rides at this park...

_But it's only one week..._

"Hey, girls?"

Stellar and Lily looked up from where they were playing in the dirt. "What is it, Mama?" asked the eldest.

"Papa was sad because he couldn't go to the park. So why don't we do something to cheer him up when he gets home? Why don't we bake him some cookies?"

The girls' faces lit up. "Yay!"

Following their mother into the kitchen, the two children dug out the baking trays and bowls from the various cupboards.

"What kind? Papa's favourite?"

Murrue grinned as she pulled out a bag of currants from the overhead cupboards. "Of course. And we can make double choc-chip as well.."

The cookie dough came together nicely, and Lily was given the very important job of mixing it all together, while her sister pulled out the cutters, shaped like flowers, hearts, and stars. The oven was all warmed up, and all it needed now was the cookies being put in to bake. Lily looked up from her task, and frowned. "Can I have some dough, Mama?"

"Not yet, sweetie. Wait till it's all done, okay?"

"Can I give some to baby brother?"

Murrue smiled softly, and looked over at the high chair which held her youngest child, eight-month old Alexander. The baby boy had been born last winter, and had been the best Christmas present she and Mwu had ever recieved.

Her son had her eyes, almost the exact same orange-brown shade, and copper hair. No-one was quite sure where that colour had come from, but everyone loved it. Alex also had his father's personality, very laid-back and happy.

"No, Alex is too little to eat the dough, it might make him sick. But if we make a tiny cookie just for him, he can eat it when it's cool enough, okay?"

Lily beamed, and gave her full attention to the dough again, wanting it to be perfect for her papa and baby brother.

---------------------------------------

The cookies were all done, and rested in a cake tin in the highest cupboard, as much to deter the children from snaffling some as it was to defuse Mwu's suspicions. Sure, some of the cookies had slightly burned edges from where they'd been left in the oven just a **little** too long, but otherwise, they had turned out great.

The door opened, and the man himself walked in, looking exhausted. "I'm home, guys!"

Lily flew into the kitchen, and attached herself to her father's leg. "Papa!"

Mwu chuckled, and lifted the little girl into his arms, where she smiled happily and nuzzled close to him.

Stellar also ran in and hugged him. "Hi..."

"I'm sorry we weren't able to go out today...but next week we can. I told the guys at work there was no way I was coming in next weekend, because I had something more important to do." Mwu looked apologetic.

"It's okay, Papa. We had fun!" giggled Stellar.

Mwu looked up from his daughters to see his wife walk in, carrying baby Alex. "Welcome home" she said gently. Mwu smiled in delight, and walked over to where Murrue waited, kissing her lightly. "Hi, beautiful..." He put down Lily and lifted his son from his mother's arms, swinging him around and making aeroplane noises, making the baby gurgle happily.

"Hey kiddo, been good today?"

"He has," chirped Lily, jumping up and down. "He only cried a really little bit!"

Mwu handed the baby back to Murrue, then stopped and sniffed the air. "I smell something good..." He paused again.

"Hey wait...I smell cookies!" He pretended to scowl. "I spent all day at work, and you three baked _cookies_? No fair!"

The three girls laughed. "It's okay, Papa, we saved the bowl till you got home!" said Stellar, holding out the huge mixing bowl still coated with cookie dough. Mwu immediately stopped faking anger, and grabbed a spoon, childish happiness sparkling in those bright blue eyes.

Murrue watched with raised eyebrows as her husband and children dug into the sweet dough, squabbling over who got the biggest spoonful.

"I'm the oldest here, I should get the biggest!"

"No way, you weren't even here when we made the cookies!"

"And I mixed it all by myself!"

The woman rolled her eyes and sighed, shifting Alex to a more comfortable position.

"I swear, sometimes it feels like I have four children instead of three..."

Mwu let out a laugh, and lifted the mixing bowl into the air, well out of the reach of even Stellar.

"Aww, Papa. that's not fair! There's lots left!"

"I know" he replied, matter-of-factly. "But don't you think Mama deserves some of this too?"

Crossing the floor to where his wife stood, he held out the spoon. "Here ya go!"

Murrue backed away, hitting the closed door behind her. "N-no, I'm okay..."

Mwu looked surprised. "Don't you like it?"

She shook her head. "It's too...too sweet...and..."

He slumped, understanding. "Is this that idea you have that you weigh too much again?"

Murrue looked defensive. "But I do! I'm going to start dieting soon..."

Mwu frowned. "Don't be silly. If you lose any weight, you'll disappear! Please believe me, you don't need to diet. Does she, girls?"

Stellar and Lily shook their heads. "We tried to tell her, Papa, but she won't listen.."

Mwu wrapped his arm around Murrue's waist. "Don't I keep telling you that you're perfect? Why won't you listen? I'm willing to bet that you're the same as you were when we first met, all those years ago. And even if by some chance you weren't, what difference do you think it would make? I certainly wouldn't love you any less, and neither would anyone else..."

The brunette opened her mouth to complain, and Mwu popped the spoonful of mix into her mouth.

"Mwu!" she protested once she had managed to swallow. "That's cheating!"

He grinned. "Sure is. But I meant everything I said..."

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( Sometimes my ideas get too random. Don't ask me where this one came from :sighs:

As for the cookies, I really don't know if currant ones are Mwu's favourite, but they're kinda my specialty, and I get a warm fuzzy feeling about Mwu liking my cookies :blush: I can be a bit _too_ fangirly sometimes...XO

I have no idea whether Murrue-san would think she was starting to weigh too much :laughs: but a lot of women have issues with their weight, and as grounded as Murrue-san is, I'm sure even she would have some kind of insecurity about it. If it's OOC, I apologise.

Please read and review! )


	40. Secrets

All was quiet aboard the _Archangel_. Kira floated down the silent corridors, on a visit from the _Eternal_. He had come with the intention of visiting his friends, but so far, no-one was around. Sure, it was pretty late at 'night', but normally there should be someone around...

As he thought this, he saw Miriallia walk out of a room just up ahead, and he waved.

"Hey Miri! How's it going?"

Miriallia smiled happily at seeing her friend. "Oh, just fine. Are you off duty now?"

Kira nodded. "Yeah, I just thought I'd come and see how you were all doing. Athrun went over to _Kusanagi_ to visit Cagalli.."

The two young people wandered down the halls together, chatting about nothing much, just what they'd been up to recently, and how quiet it had been. The war was still going on, but for the last few days, both sides had been rather quiet. Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before everything started again, but for now, they were enjoying the down time.

As the pair talked, they rounded a corner...only to duck back around the way they had come, peeking out at the scene before them in complete amazement.

Captain Ramius was standing there, back against the wall, and Commander La Fllaga had his arms wrapped around her waist, and he seemed to be trying to kiss her on the cheek. The Captain's face was bright pink, and she looked to be trying to push the Commander away. But the more the Commander tried, the less effort she put into struggling, and she even giggled.

"Stop that, will you? People could see us!"

Their unwitting spectators still watched from around the corner, _totally_ seeing them.

The Commander laughed, and kept right on with trying to kiss her.

Kira and Miriallia slowly backed off and tip-toed away, shocked at what they had just witnessed.

"I heard something about this from Neumann and a couple of the others, about how the Captain and Commander had gotten together all of a sudden, but I wasn't sure whether to believe them or not..." whispered the girl.

Kira smiled "I never imagined them getting together, but I'm glad they have. They're such good people, they deserve to be happy..."

Miri grinned slyly. "So shall we tell everyone?"

Kira shook his head. "No. If they want to keep this relationship of theirs a secret, we should let them..."

Mwu had managed to get close enough to unzip the collar of his Captain's jacket, and was busy placing tiny kisses on her neck, smiling as her hair tickled his nose. Murrue's hand was still flat to his chest, but she had seemingly forgotten all about pushing him away. Looking up, Mwu grinned as he saw that her eyes were closed, and her cheeks were pale pink. As we watched, those dark eyes of hers opened a little, and she quickly checked all around them.

"You don't have to worry so much, Captain. If I see anyone, I'll stop, okay?"

But she still looked nervous. "But they'd easily be able to tell what we've been up to..."

He sighed, and pushed himself away from her, running a hand through his thick blonde hair.

"I'm sure that no-one would mind if they did see us...But sure, I'll wait till we're alone, if you're worried."

He brightened as an idea struck him. "Hey, do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Murrue blinked. "Dinner? You mean, in the mess hall?"

"Nope" Mwu said proudly. "With me. In my room."

Her eyes widened, and she blushed again. "Is this...is this a date, Commander?"

"Uhhh...kinda, I guess. It won't be too fancy, though..."

He was expecting her to decline his offer, but instead she gave him that sweet smile that always caused his heart to melt, and kissed him on the cheek. "Then I'll see you tomorrow night..."

The next evening, Murrue checked the closet in her room again, even though she knew the contents would still be the same. All that was there were spare uniforms and the orange overalls she wore as an engineer. Nothing that was really suitable for a dinner date...

_Idiot. Of course there isn't. And the Commander did say that it wasn't going to be fancy..._

Her uniform would just have to do. She smoothed out the skirt nervously, and checked her reflection in the mirror.

She saw a brunette woman wearing a nervous happy smile looking back at her. She had no idea why she felt so shy...it was only dinner...

_But it's dinner with **him**. And the last time we were alone in his room together, we...we..._

Her cheeks flamed red, and she took deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

_I have to stop acting like a teenager..._

Checking her reflection one last time, Murrue grabbed a clip from a drawer, and twisted her hair up, fastening it in place. There. Now she looked a little different...

----------------------------------------------

"Welcome.." said the Commander, smiling in that happy way of his. His room was darkened, the lighting dim, and Murrue could just make out a little folding table and two chairs further inside.

Mwu extended his arm, and gestured for her to enter. Checking one last time to make sure no-one outside was watching, Murrue stepped inside.

"You look lovely tonight, Captain.." he said gently as the door swished shut behind them.

"Why, thank you, Commander, and you look very smart as well." His collar was zipped up, and his sleeves were rolled down, just as regulations demanded. It made him look very different.

He pulled out one of the chairs for her so she could be seated, and she smiled at the tray of ship's food that lay before her.

"I'm sorry..." he said sheepishly. "That was the best I could do. But I did manage to wheedle this out of one of the cooks..."

With a typically theatrical gesture, he lifted up a bowl in the centre of the tiny table to reveal a sticky treacle-like pudding.

Murrue couldn't help laughing.

The pair ate in relative silence, each just enjoying the other's company. Mwu could only stare at Murrue as she ate, almost entranced by her. The hairstyle made her look so different...he couldn't resist. Stretching a hand out, he softly stroked her dark hair, chuckling when she jumped in surprise and almost choked on her dinner.

"I like what you did...was that for me?" he teased, loving it when she blushed.

She looked horribly embarrassed, and made as if to reach behind and unclip her hair, but he easily caught her wrist.

"I do like your hair the way it usually is, but please, leave it like that for a little while longer..."

As he spoke, his fingers crept downwards and began caressing the exposed skin at the back of her neck.

"C-commander...we're supposed to be eating!" Murrue protested, her voice faint.

"But we're almost done except for dessert.."

Pulling away from his gentle touch, she got to her feet, composed once more, and voice regal.

"Maybe so, but I only agreed to have dinner with you, nothing more."

She turned to leave, but faster than even he thought possible, Mwu stood up and caught her hand, spinning her back around to face him.

"Do you have to leave just yet?"

Murrue knew this would happen, had expected it, and she knew she shouldn't have been surprised.

_Of course you knew. And don't try and pretend you had no intention of staying the night if he asked..._

But taking a deep breath, she looked up at him. "We don't know when the enemy will attack, we have to be prepared, we have to.."

Her words were cut off as the Commander drew her to him and kissed her passionately. The kiss was so intense it made the ends of her fingers tingle, and her knees feel like jelly. When they broke apart, she was practically breathless.

"It's just...I love being with you, even if we're only talking.." he said softly, his face serious for once.

"I know you're the Captain, and I'm a pilot, and we have our duties...but I wish we could stay like this for always, just the two of us, without the war or our mission getting in the way.That's why I'd like you to stay here with me tonight..."

Murrue flushed and looked at her feet, not used to the Commander being so sincere.

"I...Commander..."

Mwu laughed quietly, and tilted her chin up so she was staring right into his piercing blue eyes. "That's my secret, you see. The one I wanted to tell you. About how I've come to not want to share you with anyone..."

Murrue couldn't believe he was saying something like this...did it mean that he...loved her?

"So now that you understand...please will you stay with me?"

She couldn't answer, didn't trust herself to answer. She could only nod.

His handsome face lit up in happiness, and he kissed her again, a much more gentle and sweet kiss than before.

"And please.." he said finally, bending down to meet her gaze again. "can I call you 'Murrue'? And will you call me Mwu?"

Later that night, as they lay in each other's arms, Murrue suddenly spoke up.

"Can I ask you something?"

Mwu lazily opened his eyes and looked at her. "Sure you can.."

"When you came back to save the ship at Alaska, how did you know about the Cyclops? You shouldn't have been anywhere near the control room if you were simply coming back here..."

Mwu seemed surprised at this question from out of the blue, then smiled ruefully. "I guess that's another secret... but I'll tell you...I found out by accident...because I sensed _him_.."

Murrue frowned, and pushed herself up onto an elbow to face him, pulling the sheet around her. "Sensed who?"

"Raww Le Klueze. A ZAFT commander. For some reason neither of us have been able to work out, we can sense each other's presence. Like a tickling in the back of the mind. He was in the control room, I don't know how he got there, but when I found him, I found out about the system..."

"I've never heard of anything like that before..." said Murrue, concerned. "What kind of person is he?"

Her lover scowled, the expression looking out of place on his normally happy face.

"The very worst. I don't know much about him personally, and I don't know how to explain it, but I just **know** that he's..well... I wish I _couldn't_ sense him, I'd give almost anything to not be able to..."

Murrue looked sad for a moment, then smiled a little. Moving close to Mwu, she wrapped her arms around him to try and comfort him.

"It's okay. In a way, I guess we should all be grateful that you can sense him. If not, you wouldn't have ended up where you did, or at least, not until it was maybe too late. And we...we wouldn't be here right now."

He finally smiled back, and kissed the top of her head. "That's true, and it does make me feel a bit better about all this. But please, unless there's no choice, don't tell anyone else, all right?"

"I promise. Unless I have to, it'll be our secret. Thank you for telling me.."

"And what about you?" he said, the laughing tone back in his voice. "What secrets does Murrue have?"

"Secrets? I don't have any."

"I bet you do. Everyone does. What is there that no-one knows about you?"

Murrue thought for a moment, then flushed a little as a memory came back to her. Moving further up in the bed, she whispered something into his ear which caused him to laugh merrily. "Really?"

She nodded, giggling. Her academy days were long behind her now, but she still remembered her ability, and she was sure she hadn't lost it yet...

"You're telling me _you_ were that much of a drinker?" Mwu pulled back the covers to peer at her delicate frame.

"Where the hell did you **put** it all?"

"Quit that!" she scolded, still laughing. "It's not like I'm proud of it..."

"Now I know how you were able to down that moonshine in the desert like it was soda..."

Murrue flushed and buried her face in the pillow. "I said stop it!"

"Well, thank you for telling me _your_ secret. And I promise I won't tell anyone about it...unless you want me to. I'm sure the crew would love to hear about...ow!"

Murrue had whirled around and smacked him full in the face with her pillow, making his eyes water.

"Oh, is that how it's going to be? You asked for it!" She giggled and tried to escape as he swung his own pillow at her, just barely dodging the attack. The couple indulged in their childish sides for several minutes until they collapsed back onto the bed, breathless and laughing.

"And you get mad at _me_ for acting like a kid!" chuckled Mwu as he pulled the auburn-haired captain closer.

"At least I don't act like one 24/7..." Murrue shot back, smiling.

"Can I see you act like this more often?" he asked hopefully, trying to tickle her.

"We'll see..." she gasped, whacking him with the pillow again to get him to stop.

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( Lol. This came about as I remembered that in phase 44 of Seed, Murrue-san suddenly knew all about Mwu being able to sense Klueze, and she also called him by his first name. I always wondered how that happened...

The academy thing...well, you all saw her chug that whatever-it-was in the desert, right:laughs:

And the pillow fight? I have no excuse for that...

Please read and review! )


	41. Home

The war was over. The Second Bloody Valentine War, which had claimed so many lives, was finally over.

The official peace talks hadn't ended yet, but the fighting had stopped, and the crews of all the ships involved in the myriad battles had finally been able to go home. If they had a home to go back to...

The crew of the _Archangel_ had returned to Orb, and the stately ship had been secreted away back in the underground hangar it had resided in for the past two years. But only until it was repaired. After that, plans had been made to move it to the Morgenroete shipyards, as it was officially part of the Orb military...

The little wooden house by the beach was almost the same as it had been before it had been destroyed by the Junius Seven-caused tsunami. While Kira and the others had been away in space, the little house had been rebuilt, just a bit bigger than it had been before. As the group from the _Archangel_ approached the house, a swarm of small children rushed out and gathered around Lacus, laughing and talking happily. A woman with dark hair ran out and enveloped Kira in a tight hug, tears running down her face. Kira smiled, and hugged his mother back, finally looking like a boy again.

Two people stood at the back hand-in-hand, watching this reunion scene with smiles on their faces. As the little crowd began to move indoors, the couple turned to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kira's voice rang out from behind them.

Murrue smiled. "We're going back to the _Archangel._ We can live there until we find something more permanent."

The boy frowned, and was about to speak, when his mother Caridad came to join them.

"We have plenty of room, Murrue-san. Please stay with us for as long as you like. We have a spare bed.."

Murrue protested. "But we can't! You need the space...we'd just be getting in the way.."

"Don't be silly. You gave us all a place to stay when this house was destroyed. Now how can we not return the favour? I insist. Stay here with us until you find somewhere else to live."

Kira chipped in. "Mom's right. And you've been stuck on the ship long enough.."

Mwu, who up until now had been unusually quiet, squeezed Murrue's hand and grinned.

"I think we've lost this argument, don't you?"

A couple of days later, Murrue was sitting on the front porch of the little house, looking out at the beach, and the ocean beyond. Caridad had been so kind letting them both stay with her and the others. The result was that it was a tight squeeze, but the atmosphere was so friendly and warm that it didn't matter much.

"Murrue-san? Here you go.." came Caridad's gentle voice as she handed Murrue a cup of iced tea.

"Oh, thanks so much"

Mwu was on the beach, playing soccer with Kira, Athrun and the orphans. The children had quickly got used to his presence, and just as quickly tuned to the fact that this new big brother acted just as childish as they did sometimes. Murrue smiled as she watched the game, seeing how happy her lover seemed to be now.

"Fllaga-san seems to like it here, doesn't he? Kira tells me that he's the one you loved before, the one you thought had died." Caridad looked thoughtful. "The hat you had...the one in the old house...it belongs to him, doesn't it?"

Murrue nodded, sipping her drink.

"He must be very special. Since you never found anyone else in those last two years..."

Murrue smiled softly. "It's not that. I was too afraid to fall in love again..of having my heart broken again.."

"You think so?" replied the older woman. "Perhaps so, but while we stayed with you before, you always seemed to be waiting for something, as if you knew he'd come back to you one day. Maybe someone up there kept you from falling in love again, because they knew as well. Perhaps you and Fllaga-san are just meant to be?"

Murrue flushed brilliant red, and looked down. "It's really nothing that complicated. We were just lucky..."

Caridad wore a solemn expression. "In my experience, very few people are ever that lucky..."

The soccer game was still going strong. Mwu had easily got possession of the ball from Kira, and was racing toward the goal, followed by a pack of kids. He was about to score, when suddenly he pitched forward with a yell and fell flat on his face. Looking around, spitting out a mouthful of sand, he scowled when he caught sight of a round green object bouncing back towards Kira. One of Lacus' Haros had tripped him up.

Kira burst out laughing at the sight, and Mwu grabbed a handful of wet sand, throwing it straight at the boy.

Kira never stood a chance. Anger had improved Mwu's aim, and the sand hit the laughing boy right in the face..

Murrue, still watching, pressed a hand to her face.

"He's even more of a child than he was before..."

"But that is to be expected, surely?" came Malchio-sama's soft voice from behind the two women.

"I was told that Fllaga-san had his memories locked away, and was made to fight a war that was not his own. He wasn't able to be himself for those two years, because he didn't know who 'himself' was. Now his real self is reasserting itself, reaffirming who he's meant to be..."

Caridad nodded. "Maybe it's a good thing that he's like a child, as you need to learn to be like that. You can be far too serious, wanting to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You're too young to act like that. The war is over now, Murrue-san. You're not a captain anymore. Stop being a figurehead, and just be yourself.."

Murrue sighed, running a hand through her auburn hair. "It's been so long...how do I do that?"

The older woman pointed to where Mwu was again running about with the children. "He can show you. And you can show him. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and you keep everything bottled up. You can learn from each other..."

As Murrue thought about what she had been told, Mwu came running over, a huge smile on his boyishly handsome face.

"Hey, Murrue, come play soccer with us!" he laughed, taking her hand.

"I can't...I can't play soccer.."

He thought for a moment. "Well, tell you what. You can be referee"

As the game progressed, she sat on the sidelines, watching what was happening. One of the orphans, a little girl came and sat beside her, clutching a doll. "Murrue-san?"

"What is it, sweetie?" asked the woman gently.

The girl pointed to Mwu. "That big brother says he's going to marry you one day. Is that right?"

Murrue went bright red, not able to answer due to the breath leaving her lungs.

_He..he said something like that?_

Back at the game, Mwu deliberately tripped Kira, laughing at the boy. "Serves you right!"

The referee immediately placed two fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle. "Foul! No fair!"

Mwu blinked, then grinned. "Is that right?" He ran over to her and lifted her straight off the ground, twirling her around until she was dizzy, and wouldn't put her down, despite her squeals.

That night, they had a barbecue, with potato salad. Murrue got herself a small plateful of salad, while Mwu loaded up his plate with a pile of everything.

"Are you sure you have enough there?"

Her lover peered at her own tiny plate, then frowned. "Are you sure _you_ have enough?"

She was surprised at his concern, but smiled and nodded. "I'm fine, don't worry."

He slipped off the jacket he wore, and placed it around her own slim shoulders, as protection against the night breeze.

"Now I have you all to myself, just like I wanted. So I have to take care of you, don't I?" He smiled, and wrapped an arm around her waist, placing a kiss on her cheek. All she could do was blush at his words.

Caridad and Kira watched the exchange between the couple with a smile.

"He's just what she needed, isn't he? Someone to look after her, so she doesn't always have to be so strong, someone who can be there for her.."

Kira nodded. "And he needs her. To be reminded that no matter what he did before, and no matter where he was, someone has always loved him. I'm sure that the pair of them will be married before the year is out..."

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( Lol, mindless fluff again. Read and review please! )


	42. Stirrings

( :thinks: Ya know, all my stories seem to be set late in Seed, or in GSD. Soooo, for a change, here be a chapter set before the series halfway point. Hope you likey XD )

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The _Archangel_ sailed over the Indian Ocean, as rapidly as it dared without drawing undue attention to itself. Of course, this would in no way keep it from being detected by the ZAFT forces patrolling the area, and the crew of the ship knew very well that another battle could begin at any moment. But for now, peace reigned.

Murrue sat in her office, poring over damage reports and other paperwork, grateful for this opportunity to get some of it out of the way, then Lt. Badgiruel wouldn't be breathing down her neck. The hours of work gave her a headache and a crick in her neck, but it would be worth it, she told herself.

Mwu stood outside, struggling to balance the two mugs of coffee he held and knock on the office door at the same time. He knew the Captain had gone in there to finish some of the work that had been piling up, but that had been several hours ago, and he was sure she must need a break by now...

To his surprise, when he tried to knock, the door slid open...she hadn't locked it. The sudden shift in balance almost made Mwu topple over, taking the coffee with him, but he managed to stay upright. Pleased with himself, he looked over to the Captain, but she was still busy with her work. It was if she hadn't even noticed him enter.

_And I must have been loud...whatever she's doing must be important, huh?_

Quietly, he made his way over to the chair at the opposite side of her desk, and sat himself down, placing the mug of coffee in front of her. When she looked up, she'd see it, and until then, he'd stay right where he was.

Since she didn't seem to have a clue that he was there, it gave Mwu an opportunity to study his Captain. She was leaning over the desk, and her hair was hanging in her face. The dark auburn locks caught the light, and shimmered with a life of their own. Mwu smiled as he breathed in the scent that clung to those locks, and a fleeting thought ran through his mind as to what her hair might feel like between his fingers...

The Captain was frowning, and her lips were pursed with concentration. It made her look very different. Suddenly, all Mwu wanted more than anything was to kiss those lips...

His heart skipped a beat as he thought of it.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back off there, Mwu. Sure, you tease her and flirt with her, but this...? This is __not part of the plan, and she'd be mad if she knew. And probably scared..._

The Captain finally looked up from her work, and jumped a little as she saw him sitting there. Then she frowned again. "Did you want something, Commander?"

All Mwu did in reply was point to the cup of coffee still sitting before her. "You looked like you needed it."

Those amber eyes of hers blinked in confusion, then softened, and she smiled a little. "Thank you..."

The happiness he felt at seeing her smile made his heart skip again, and all he could do was grin back like an idiot.

_Ah, dammit. It's too late. This has gone beyond just wanting to kiss her...I've fallen in love with her. Now what do I do?_

_Back off and hope these feelings go away? No..I can't do that. What with Badgiruel..the Captain needs all the support __she can get..not distance._

"Commander?"

Mwu flicked out of his daydream to see the Captain leaning across the desk. "Are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine.." he blurted, then grinned sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that.."

Her concerned look changed to one of relief. "That's good. I was worried you might be sick..you were a little flushed.."

The thought that she had been worried about him made him feel even happier, even though he knew that her worry was mainly because he was one of the only pilots _Archangel _had. But it was nice to imagine that she was worried about _him_...

_That's it. I decided. Instead of backing away...I'm going to try and win her over, to see if maybe one day __she'll love me back. However long it takes...I have to try, a little bit at a time._

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A few days later, Murrue was looking for the Commander. She had some paperwork for him to sign, but so far, he was nowhere to be found. She searched everywhere, the mess hall, the hangar, even knocked on his door, but nothing. She was about to give up when she passed the pilots lounge, and heard a faint snore.

Peeking around the door, Murrue saw him lying on one of the sofas in the lounge, fast asleep. The sofas had not been designed with comfort in mind, and this one was far too small for someone his size. He was scrunched up on the cushions, his legs and arms dangling over the sides of the furnishing. But in spite of that, he didn't seem to mind much. His blonde hair was all in his face, and that face wore a small smile.

Without her realising it, Murrue's lips curved upwards in a smile of their own. The Commander looked so innocent when he was sleeping, like a child. The sight gave her a warm feeling in her chest as she watched him sleep.

On the spur of the moment, she reached down onto the floor and picked up his uniform jacket, which lay beside the sofa. Straightening it out, she put it over him, tucking it round his body. Then, very gently, she reached and brushed some of the unruly golden hair out of his face.

The movement caused the Commander to stir slightly, and those intense blue eyes of his opened just a fraction.

Murrue held her breath, but after giving her a slow smile, the man sighed softly and fell asleep again.

The captain frowned, and pressed a hand to her chest. That smile he had given her...why hadit madeherfeel like that? Her heart had jumped, just for a second, and she wasn't sure why.

_Because he smiled at me? That's ridiculous._

Sure, the Commander was a very handsome man. Even **she** had noticed that. But he was just a mobile armour pilot, and a flyboy one at that. Murrue nodded, even though there was no-one who could see her.

_That's right. And pilots are off limits..I can't let myself take that chance again. The way I felt just now...it __was like any woman's reactions at seeing a handsome man. It doesn't mean anything._

As she turned to leave, Murrue took one last look at the sleeping pilot. He was smiling again, and again, herheart flipped. Scowling at her own inability to control her emotions, she left the room.

_It's not like that. I don't feel anything for him...he's a friend._

She didn't know that it was already too late.

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( :D

This is more fluff, huh? I promise there'll be a more serious chapter tomorrow...honest!

I just wondered...when would they have realised how they felt about each other? My guess is that Mwu knew he loved her for quite a while, but that she didn't realise until he had to leave. But it was cute to imagine when the feelings first started...

Please read and review! )


	43. Kioku: Memory

( Hi :waves like an idiot: Here I am again! )

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It was blisteringly hot. People wandered the streets of the city, shopping, window-browsing, or just walking with someone, but a lot of the ones out on that day sat under shade in streetside cafes, or under parasols, as protection against the sun's heat.

Murrue was one of these people. She was sitting at a cafe's outdoor table, a cold drink in front of her, surrounded by shopping bags. Baby Stellar slept in her carrier on a chair by her mother's side, protected both by the parasol and the suncream she wore. If Murrue had known it was going to be so hot, she would have left the baby home with her father. Mwu at the moment was inside the cafe, buying ice cream. But the queues were pretty long today, so she guessed he might be a while.

"Is this seat taken?" Murrue spun around in shock at the voice, and smiled in happiness at the one before her.

"Michael...is that you? How are you? It's been so long!"

The man smiled sadly, and sat down on the empty seat across from the woman. "It has...it's been five years now.."

Murrue looked stricken for a moment, then focused on her drink. "Has...has it really?"

The man, Michael, noticed her sadness, and forced his smile to be a little brighter.

"So, what are you doing these days, Murrue-san?"

She pushed a hand through her thick auburn hair. "I work at Morgenroete now."

"That's great! You always were the best engineer I knew, you deserve a job like that."

"Thanks..." Embarrassed, Murrue pushed her left hand through her hair again. The rings on the third finger caught the light and glittered, bringing them to Michael's attention.

"You're...married now?"

The woman flushed and looked at her drink again. "For two years. This is my daughter." she muttered, gesturing to the infant sleeping beside her.

The man leaned over the table to gaze at Stellar, a smile on his face. "She's a cutie. So who did you end up marrying? You, the one who swore never to fall in love again?"

"I...I...you'll see..he'll be back in a few minutes..."

"What's with the hesitation? Don't tell me he's another pilot. Not after what you said before..."

"It...it just kinda..happened.."

The pair talked for several more minutes, until Mwu arrived with the ice cream he had queued so long to get.

Seeing his wife talking with a man he didn't recognise, he frowned a little, and, walking over to where they sat, placed a protective hand on her shoulder. Murrue jumped a little in surprise, then looked up at Mwu and smiled.

"Oh, hi, honey." Turning to Michael, she indicated the man behind her. "Michael, this is my husband, Mwu La Fllaga."

Michael looked surprised, but held out his hand to Mwu, who shook it without a word.

"I've heard of you...you're the Hawk of Endymion, right?" He looked to Murrue and raised an eyebrow.

"Another MA pilot, huh? And an ace at that. What did you do, decide to trade up?"

Murrue twitched as if in pain, and tears began to brim in her marigold eyes. "I...I..."

Mwu's hand tightened on her shoulder, and he glowered at the other man, his eyes dark with anger.

Michael looked apologetic, and stood up to leave. "I'm..I'm sorry, Murrue-san..I didn't mean to make you upset. I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded, not saying anything. Michael apologised once more, and left.

"Who was he?" asked Mwu softly, sitting down beside his wife. She smiled, and brushed the tears from her eyes.

"An old friend. Someone I knew a long time ago, before I was transferred to _Archangel_."

"How come you agreed to meet him tomorrow?"

"There's...there's something important I need to do. Something I'd forgotten.."

That was all she would say, and he didn't press her for answers. This man's appearance had clearly shaken her, and although Mwu was slightly jealous that this man seemed to know her so well, and for longer than he had, he let it go.

"Come on, princess," he said, finishing his ice cream and picking up the baby carrier. "Let's go home, okay?"

That night, she didn't eat much, seeming lost in thought, or perhaps memories, and she looked very sad and a little wistful. Later, as they lay trying to get to sleep, Mwu very carefully slipped an arm around her, not sure what her reaction would be. Murrue sighed, the sound almost like a sob, and snuggled close to him, as close as she could get, despite the oppressive warmth of the night.

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked quietly, stroking her dark hair to try and soothe her. She didn't answer, just nodded, and held onto him tightly, as if she was afraid he would disappear.

The next evening, as the sun was setting over the sea, Murrue stood on the beach with an armful of roses she had taken from the garden. Mwu stood a little off to the side, holding their daughter, his mind spinning in confusion.

_What's she doing?_

"I'm sorry about yesterday.." came a voice, and the man from the cafe, Michael, came and stood beside him.

Mwu frowned. "Who are you, anyway?"

The other man sighed. "I'm a friend of Murrue-san's, someone she knew before she moved to that _Archangel_ ship. That's where she met you, I'm guessing."

At Mwu's nod, he smiled ruefully. "Yeah, I thought so. You've seen the locket she has, right? The one with the rose on the front? Well, the man who gave that to her was my best friend. We all used to hang out together, and I couldn't have been happier when those two fell in love. My friend...we flew in the same squad together, and he told me one day that he planned to ask Murrue-san to marry him when the war was over. Hell, he even asked me if I'd be his best man. And..and I was the one who had to tell Murrue-san that he'd been killed in action..."

Mwu looked at his feet, finally understanding. "So that's why she's been so..."

Michael smiled sadly. "I was happy when she was transferred away. Our ship held too many memories for her, and she needed to get away from them. I hoped that one day Murrue-san would find happiness, but she said that no matter what, she'd never fall in love with another soldier again. But...she found you. I couldn't help but be a little angry at her for that, I think maybe part of me hoped she'd stay loyal to my friend's memory forever. But that was selfish of me.

And now...it's five years to the day since he died..."

Murrue stepped forward to the ocean's waves, and placed the roses into the receding tide, where they were washed away into the sea. Then she stepped back, and bowed her head. Michael smiled.

"Before I found out who you were, I...she told me all about your life together, and the baby, and how happy she was now. I have to admit, I think that he'd be jealous if he knew, as the way she spoke of you, and the way she smiled when she did...I think that she loves you more now than she loved him."

Mwu beamed in delight, and looked across at his wife, and then down at his daughter. Stellar was awake, and her large blue eyes were full of smiles. She reached out with her chubby hand, and tried to tug at her father's long blonde hair, but the wind kept blowing it out of her reach. Michael smiled again, and looked out over the ocean.

"That's why I suggested this. What she's doing now...this is goodbye. Closure, I suppose. She has a new life now, and this..this is..she's finally letting him go, and moving on. I doubt she'll ever forget him, but no-one can stay in the past." Patting Mwu's shoulder, the man turned to walk away.

"You're very lucky. She's a great person, and my friend really loved her. Please take care of her..."

A few moments later, Murrue walked back from the sea, wiping away a few tears. She smiled at her husband, and tickled Stellar's feet, making the baby giggle. Kissing Mwu's cheek lightly, she took his hand.

"Come on, let's go home.."

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( Hmm...:thinks:...Nope, I don't know where this one came from.

I'd planned to write teh Super Angst, but for some reason, this story was in my head when I woke up. I think I might have dreamed it...

You never hear anything else about this other guy after Murrue-san and Mwu get together in Seed, and it made me wonder what they might have been like together...

Please read and review! )


	44. Kanashimi: Sadness

Here, as promised, super angst...:is sad:

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It was night. The cool breeze blew across the face of the cliff, and the sea crashed against the rocks below. A woman sat alone on the balcony of a large house, looking up at the darkened sky. The moonlight fell upon her face, making her skin appear even paler than it already was, and making her large dark eyes shimmer.

The stars twinkled in the black velvet of the night sky, and the distant hourglass shapes of the PLANTS were clearly visible.

A man sat just inside the house, watching the woman with a sad expression on his scarred face. In the silver light of the moon, Captain Ramius looked almost translucent, ethereal.

Since she had agreed to come and live with him, Andrew Bartfeld had kept a close eye on the young captain. He had asked her to come and live in this house with him both because it was too big for one person to live in by themselves, and because he didn't want her to be alone.

She was so different from the person he had met a few months ago. Outwardly, nothing seemed to have changed, but to those who knew her, like Kira and the other former _Archangel_ personnel, she was like another person. Andrew was beginning to see what they meant. Captain Ramius smiled still, but the expression seemed fixed, like a mask. The smiles never once reached those dark marigold eyes, never once replaced the look of pain that had been in them since Jachin Due.

Her friends knew that she was hiding how much pain she was really in. She never wanted people to worry about her, never wanted to display what she percieved as weakness to others. So she kept her emotions bottled up, not letting go of the iron grip she had on her own heart.

But this couldn't last forever. The struggle of keeping everything in was taking it's toll on her already delicate frame. She was much thinner than she had been when she'd first moved into the house, and she was more tired than she should be. Eventually, if she didn't let her feelings out, something would snap.

Getting up off the stone seat on the balcony, Murrue walked inside out of the breeze. She smiled at Commander Bartfeld, and made her way to her room. She slept more than she should, but in sleep, she was freed from the endless cycle of thoughts that plagued her throughout the day.

_My sleep is usually dreamless. And I welcome that..._

But tonight was different. She was standing on a beach, in her old Alliance uniform. It was sunset, and the sea was hues of orange, pink, and red. The place was deserted, except for a figure that stood just ahead, looking out at the ocean.

The sunlight cascaded through his golden hair, and reflected from his blue eyes. As Murrue stared in shock, the figure turned and smiled at her. Mwu held out his arms to her. "_Hey, Murrue!"_

Her heart began racing for the first time in two months. Tears built up in her eyes, and she bolted across the sand towards him. Surely this was real, the last weeks of her life had all been a painful dream, a nightmare... "Mwu!"

Murrue closed her eyes, prepared for the enveloping warmth of her beloved's arms, but instead...there was nothing. Opening her eyes, she looked around in confusion. Mwu wasn't there. Turning back, she saw that he was looking down at himself in bewilderment. He looked up at her, and held out his hand. She was about to reach out and take it, but then...

The smooth, tanned skin of Mwu's hand began to turn red and blistered, burned. The burns spread down his arm and across his body, and blood began to drip from open wounds. His blue eyes, normally so full of love and happiness, filled with pain and shock. As Murrue watched in horror, he slowly faded from sight.

She couldn't take it anymore. Sinking to her knees, she began to cry, softly at first, then, as the pain in her heart got worse, the volume of her weeping increased.

"Please...please come back to me...please...Mwu!" The last word was almost a scream, filled with grief and loss.

The next thing Murrue knew, she was sitting bolt upright in her bed, in the house, alone. Her hands were shaking, and she was icy cold.

"Captain Ramius! Are you all right?" Commander Bartfeld burst through the door, and rushed to her side.

"You were calling out for...for Mwu. Did you have a nightmare?"

The details of the dream came rushing back, and her eyes filled with tears. Burying her face in her hands, she began to cry again, her body shaking with the strength of her sobs. Commander Bartfeld put a hand on her thin shoulder, then pulled her into a comforting hug.

_Her defences are finally down...as sad as she may be, this is what she needed._

He let her rest her head on his shoulder as she wept, the tears soaking through his shirt. Her breath came in gasps, the force of her crying making it hard for her to take in air. He stayed with her, his arms around her, until her crying stopped.

Leading her downstairs, he made her a cup of herbal tea, as she sat on the sofa, still shaking.

"I'm...I'm sorry...for all that..."

Andrew smiled, handing her the cup. "Don't apologise. It's all right. I was wondering when this would happen, when you'd finally let yourself grieve for him. You had a bad dream, huh?"

She nodded, tears brimming in her now red-rimmed eyes. "I don't know why it hurts so much. I..I always knew something like that could happen, that I could lose him, just like...like the one before. I never let myself think about it..because it hurt too much."

She began to cry a little again. "Why did it have to happen...why did I have to fall in love with him?"

Andrew smiled sadly. "We can't control our hearts, or decide who we're going to fall in love with. We can't change what happens. If you could, if you could go back and change it so you and Commander La Fllaga didn't fall in love, would you?"

Murrue gasped, startled. "N-no...of course not...I...I...he made me happy. I loved him so much..."

"Well, then, isn't it worth it? Loving someone means that you accept the pain as well as the happiness. Even though you knew what could happen, you still took the chance and gave your heart to him. It must have been the same for him, don't you think? I'm sure he must have been worried about what could happen...but he chose to love you regardless.

I wouldn't have traded the time I spent with Aisha, either. There are many who feel that way."

The woman smiled, but the tears still fell from her eyes. "Sometimes I think..that it would be better if I joined him. It hurts so much..and I miss him so much..."

Andrew shook his head. "I know how it hurts, being the one left behind. But for the sake of the ones we loved, we have to keep going, and live our lives the best way we can. Commander La Fllaga gave his life to save yours. If you gave up that life that he saved to join him, I doubt he'd be happy about it. He wanted you to live...and it's the least you can do for him, don't you think?"

Murrue swallowed the lump in her throat. "Does..does the pain ever go away?"

"No, never. But in time, it'll hurt less, and you'll be able to focus more on the good times than the bad. I promise. And don't forget, you have your friends to help you. They're so worried about you.."

"T-they are?"

"Of course. They all care about you, and want to see you smile again, _really_ smile. And I'm sure Commander La Fllaga would want that too"

Murrue took a sip of the warm herbal tea, and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Looking up at Bartfeld, she smiled, this time the smile reflecting in her marigold eyes.

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( T T. I wanted to write teh angst, but I don't like making Murrue-san sad. So tomorrow...more fluff XD

Please read and review! )


	45. Heiwa: Peace

( Here, as promised, is teh fluff. It's kind of a sequel to my AU chapter 'Inochi' or 'Life'. Hope you like XD )

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He had been in the hospital for weeks now. Through the open door of the room, he could make out nurses and doctors, patients and equipment being moved around constantly.But nothing much ever changed. It was the same routine, day in, day out. He was woken up early by people sticking needles in him, nurses coming to change the bedsheets, or change his bandages, and bring him food (which was always soup). It was so boring. If it wasn't for _her_, he might have gone stir-crazy.

She came to visit him almost every day, telling him how the peace talks had been going between the Alliance and ZAFT, or what she'd been doing at work. He eagerly anticipated her visits, as much for the news of the outside world as much as it was for her presence.

_I wonder if she'll come visit me again today?_

Checking around to see if anyone was in sight, Mwu tentatively stuck a leg out from underneath the bedsheets, wiggling it around to test how it felt. Wincing a little at the pins-and-needles feeling, he tested the other leg. Same reaction.

_Doesn't stop me from walking..._

Slowly, carefully, Mwu pushed back the covers, and stood up, wobbling a little. He managed to make his way over to the door (by holding onto things) and peeked out. Perfect. No-one in sight. Time for a walk.

"Where do you think you're going?" A stern female voice. Probably a nurse.

_Crap. Busted. Time to switch on the charm..._

Turning around, with a huge cheesy smile plastered to his face, Mwu got ready to make his excuses. Which died on his lips the moment he saw who was standing there.

Murrue had her hands on her hips, and her eyebrows raised. Without another word, she tipped her head in the direction of his room. Meekly, Mwu hobbled back in and got back into bed.

"Didn't the doctors say you had to stay in bed?" she asked in that same stern tone, sitting down on the chair beside him.

"Yeah" the blonde man grumbled. "But it's so _dull_ here..."

Murrue sighed, and squeezed his hand. "If you want to get out of here as fast as you can, then you should listen to the doctors, okay?"

He grumbled again, but nodded. "Okay, I guess. So, what have you been doing today?"

She smiled. "Just working. Nothing you'd be very interested in. There's probably more happening here, really. Has anyone else been to visit you yet?"

This time, Mwu was the one to raise their eyebrows at the thought that hospital was more interesting than Murrue's job, (whatever it was)but he let it go, and grinned. "No, only the kid yesterday. And he wouldn't buy me any chocolate."

Murrue rolled her eyes. "Because you're not _allowed_ it yet, idiot."

"Idiot? I'm an idiot now?"

She giggled a little, and nodded. "Yes, you're an idiot."

Mwu pouted, and wouldn't look at her. "That's not very nice. I'm an invalid, you know."

Sighing, Murrue leaned over the bed and kissed him gently. "Okay then, you're _my_ idiot. How's that?"

He smiled happily, and reached up, playing with her long dark hair. "That sounds better.."

When it was time for Murrue to leave, she had a long talk in the doorway of his room with the doctor. They spoke far too quietly for Mwu to hear, which frustrated him to no end.

_If they're talking about me, they could at least be a little louder..._

When the conversation ended, Murrue smiled and waved. "Goodnight, Mwu. See you tomorrow!"

He leaned back onto the pillow, and looked at the bland ceiling. "Well," he muttered after she'd gone. "At least she'll come visit me again...I wish she could stay here, sometimes..."

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When he woke up the next day...something wasn't right. The light was bright, but much more diffuse than the harsh electric lighting of the hospital where he'd spent the last couple of months. And the antiseptic smell had gone too, to be replaced by fresh air and a faint floral scent. The bedsheets were a lot softer too, and didn't smell of disinfectant and carbolic soap.

_Where am I?_

Opening his eyes, Mwu looked around. The room he was in was painted pale blue, with a window to the left. The window was slightly open, making the curtains flutter in the breeze. Other than the bed he lay in, the only furniture in the little room was a dresser with a mirror, and a wardrobe. Mwu sat up and stretched, and as he did so, he noticed that there were only a few bandages left on his arms, and a few on his legs and back.

_My face feels weird..._

Wrinkling his nose, he tried to get rid of the tight feeling across his nose and forehead, but to no avail. Touching his fingers to his face, he frowned as he came across an area of raised skin. What was that? Then it hit him. No bandages on his face.

Clambering out of the bed, he made his way (with difficulty) to the dresser, and peered at himself in the mirror.

A large livid forked scar stretched right across his nose and forehead. He stepped back a bit in alarm.

_Whoa. That doc on _Archangel_ wasn't kidding when he said I'd have some 'lovely scars', huh?_

Not much he could do about it now...first things first...to find out where he was. Finding a robe in the wardrobe, he slowly made his way out of the room, and ended up in what looked like a sitting room, with a cosy looking sofa and armchair, as well as a coffee table and bookcases. Leading off from the sitting room was a bathroom, another bedroom, and a kitchen.

_This house is nice. But how did I end up here?_

The door to the outside was open, letting the sunlight in, and a half-full mug of still-warm coffee stood on the kitchen worktop.

Hobbling to the door, Mwu smiled as the sunlight warmed his face. He had been cooped up in that hospital for so long, and in space before that...he'd almost forgotten what the sun felt like...

The neighbourhood the house stood in was quiet and peaceful, with little houses dotted all over the place. The day was warm

and cloudless...it was perfect. The sun shone down on the little garden outside the house, which was crammed with pots of almost every flower Mwu could think of (and possibly some that he couldn't). In the garden, a figure was working busily to plant the potted flowers into the soil, and Mwu sat down on the doorstep and watched them.

She looked so different to how he had always seen her. Her long auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she wore a simple blue dress and a hat to protect her from the sun. She hummed quietly to herself as she worked.

_In odd moments, when we were together, or when she was asleep, I'd imagine something like this. How we could live after __the war was over. It's so much how I imagined...this has to be a dream..._

He sat and watched Murrue plant the flowers, smiling to himself, until she ran out of water in the little can, and stood up to go refill it. The woman jumped violently when she saw him, dropping the watering can, but then her beautiful face lit up in a brilliant smile.

"Oh, you're awake!"

Mwu grinned. "That's funny. I thought that I must be dreaming. When did I leave hospital? Where are we?"

Murrue smiled again, her marigold eyes shining with happiness. Mwu looked happy too, but rather confused at the same time.

"Last night," she told him, sitting down on the doorstep beside him. "The doctors said that you were okay to leave hospital, but they weren't sure where you could go. So I asked them to bring you here. Cagalli-san and the Orb government gave us all places to live, and new identities, since they knew none of us had anywhere else to go, and we would be in danger..."

"New identities...So..this is _your_ house, Murrue?"

She nodded, then looked at the floor, her cheeks turning cherry red. "If...if you like, if it's..okay...y-you could s-s-stay here. With me...I..."

Mwu laughed, and wrapped his arms around her. "What, are you asking me to live with you?"

If it was possible, she flushed an even deeper red with embarrassment, and could only nod.

"That sounds perfect. I couldn't imagine anything I'd like more. But I'm not used to living with another person..."

"Well..." Murrue muttered, "neither am I. But now we don't have to fight anymore...I'd like to try it..living with the one...the one I love.."

"And so would I. Now we have all the time in the world to get to know each other properly. No more stolen kisses, or just nights with each other. Now we can be together for always, right?" asked Mwu, resting his chin on the top of her head.

She finally looked up at him, still pink-cheeked. "Yes..we can. We have a lot to learn about each other though...will we be okay?"

He smiled. "Yeah...I think we'll be just fine. We can take it one day at a time. If it makes you feel a little better, we can just be like flatmates for a while, until we get used to things.."

Murrue shook her head. "No..it's all right. I want to be..with you. I wished so much for something like this...to be able to live in peace with someone I loved, but I never thought I'd be able to have it. Now that I do..I..."

"I understand...daydreams are one thing, but you don't expect them to become reality. That's why I thought I was dreaming when I first came out here. But this is real, we're both here, and we love each other. That's why I think that we'll be okay." said Mwu softly, stroking her dark hair.

A tear rolled silently down her cheek, and she turned to face him. "Thank you..."

"For what?"

"For always being able to say the right things...for keeping your promise and coming back to me. If you hadn't, if you'd died..I don't...I don't know what..."

He pulled her further into his arms and rocked her back and forth to soothe her. "Sssshh. It's okay, I'm here, I didn't go anywhere.

And I have to thank you..for loving me, for taking care of me..without you, I really would have died..."

Without warning, she pushed herself up to face him, and pressed her lips to his. Mwu was startled for a moment, but quickly returned the kiss, his blue eyes closing. His arms tightened around her, and she encircled his neck with her slender arms.

They had both wanted this for so long, but hadn't been able to have it due to his injuries and the lack of privacy. Now that they had this chance, they didn't want the moment to end.

They stayed like that for a long time, holding tightly to each other even after the long, passionate kiss had ended.

Peace had finally come to the crew of the _Archangel_, and now each one of them was able to dream of a future without war, a future where they were no longer soldiers, and in some cases, a future where they could be together with the one they loved, without the constant fear that they would lose them in the next battle.

A future where they could allow themselves to dream about what would happen in the years to come, rather than just the next few days...

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( Yay for teh fluff XD

Okay, so now Neo-san doesn't exist. But cool as he was (or turned out to be) this is nicer to imagine, that Murrue-san wasn't alone and sad for those two years.

The hospital bit was fun to write. I imagine Mwu wouldn't make a very good patient. Kids never do :laughs:

Please read and review, okay? )


	46. Funfair

The sandy beach shimmered under the noonday sun. People were everywhere, enjoying the sunlight, eating ice creams, and generally having a good time. Murrue was sitting under a rented beach umbrella, reading a novel.

She had had offers of drinks or ice creams from all sorts of guys on the beach, but she always pointed wordlessly with the book she carried out to sea.

Mwu was surfing. Or at least, attempting to surf. He'd fallen off a few times, but always got back up, and he looked to be having a lot of fun. His scarred face wore a huge happy smile, which caused Murrue to smile as well, glad to see Mwu enjoying himself again after what he must have gone through in the last two years.

_He deserves this...and with the amusement park later, he can act like a child as much as he wants today._

Reaching the shore, Mwu carried the board up the beach to where she waited, blue eyes sparkling with merriment.

"Hey, Murrue," he called, laughing. "Someone asked me if I'd been bitten by a shark!"

The woman giggled, and brushed the wet hair out of his face. "And what did you tell them?"

"I didn't say anything. I let them make their own mind up." He held out the board, and held out his other hand.

"You want to try this?"

Murrue shook her head. "I don't know how..."

Her lover grinned. "Come on, it'll be okay. It's easier than it looks. Please?"

Out at sea, Murrue wondered for the dozenth time why she'd agreed to do this. And even though she didn't know much about the sport, she was pretty sure that these surfboards weren't meant for two. Mwu seemed oblivious to that fact, however, and carefully steered the board into a huge wave.

"Ready? Here we go!"

Murrue squeezed her eyes shut nervously. The wave hit the edge of the board, and it wobbled perilously, but stayed upright.

The pair sailed across the wave easily, and Mwu whooped in delight, sounding like a teenager. Even Murrue cautiously opened one amber eye, and allowed herself a smile. He was right. This _was_ kinda fun..

Until a huge breaker hit the board dead on, and the uneven balance of the pair caused them to topple over and fall into the sea. Murrue panicked a little underwater, as she couldn't make out where the surface was, or where Mwu was, or anything at all in the swirling dark currents. She was a strong swimmer, but this...

All of a sudden an arm grabbed hers, and hauled her to the surface. Coughing and spluttering against the seawater she had swallowed, Murrue blinked up at her rescuer.

"Are you okay, Murrue?" Mwu was holding onto her, and to the board with his other arm. His eyes were wide with concern.

"I was scared I wouldn't find you..."

When they reached dry land, Murrue wordlessly packed up their things, and put on her dress over her bikini. Paying for the umbrella rental, she walked back to the car, Mwu following close behind, trying to apologise.

"I'm sorry, Murrue, really I am. I didn't know that was going to happen!"

She continued walking, not letting him see the small smile that quirked at the corners of her mouth.

"Please, Murrue..." He placed his hand on her slim shoulder, and suddenly, she grabbed his arm and flipped him straight over her shoulder and to the sand. He hit the ground on his back with a thump, and stared up at her, eyes wide with shock.

"Where...where did you learn to do that?"

She didn't answer, just smiled sweetly. Straddling his chest, she held his arms above his head.

"Are you sorry for being reckless?"

Mwu almost didn't dare answer her, he just stared into her dark eyes. She frowned, and leaned in close to him.

"I said, are you sorry?"

He nodded silently, and she smiled. "Good." He smiled back, and moved to try and steal a kiss, but she pulled away from him.

"Uh-uh, it's not that easy. You'll have to work for a kiss, mister. Remember, you promised to take me to the amusement park. And you're buying me lunch." Getting up, she walked over to the car, leaving him lying there.

The amusement park was noisy and cheerful, with rides and games in every available corner. A huge rollercoaster soared overhead, and the place was packed with all kinds of people. Murrue laughed in delight, and pointed. "Come on, we're going on that first!"

Mwu followed, slightly dejected, and feeling very sorry for himself. Not only had she used a judo move on him (where _had_ she learned that, anyway?) but now he had to do whatever she wanted. And buy her lunch...

But all his self-pity evaporated when he saw how happy she was, watching the rollercoaster swing overhead with wonder in those beautiful eyes of hers, and he couldn't help smiling.

_I guess a little discomfort is worth it sometimes..._

After they had ridden the rollercoaster (which she loved), and been on the log flume ride, Murrue made Mwu buy her a burger and some fried chicken, and then cotton candy and a toffee apple. And she wouldn't even let him share. She just gave him that sugary-sweet smile, and ate it all herself.

"Well, come on, " she said happily. "Now we're going to go ride the ghost train. And then the carousel!"

Mwu trailed after her, miserable that she hadn't shown him any affection all day. Was this punishment for earlier, or had he done something else to make her mad? He sighed, hoping that she might get scared on the ghost train and maybe hug his arm...

Murrue heard his sad sigh, and smiled a little. She felt rather bad about treating him this way, but it was just a bit of fun. She'd been angry with him for a while, but the anger had disappeared long ago. But it was fun to tease him, and she would make it up to him later...

The ghost train was one of the least frightening things either of them had ever experienced. Murrue shrieked with laughter at the plastic skeletons and sheet ghosts, and Mwu screwed up his nose at the realisation that he wasn't going to get any hugs here.If this carried on, he'd just have to take matters into his own hands. After their carousel ride, he scanned the park for a ride where he called the shots, and his handsome face lit up as he came across the perfect ride.

_That's just what I needed..._

Taking Murrue's delicate hand into his, he pulled her across the park, grinning all the time at her protests. Now he was going to at least get a kiss out of her...

"Mwu, where are you taking me?" Murrue tried to pull her hand from his grip, but her small hand was firmly clasped in his large one.

Her eyes widened as she noticed where the blonde pilot was taking her. "N-no...I...it's..."

He turned to face her, a wide smile on his face as he saw her blush, and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Now it's my turn to be in charge. And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer..." Gently, he helped her into the small boat, and the little vessel headed into the Tunnel of Love.

"This is so embarrassing..." muttered Murrue, grateful he couldn't see how red her cheeks were in the dim light. The tunnel was dark and quiet, and, as much as she hated to admit it, the atmosphere was very romantic. She smiled a little as she realised why Mwu had done this.

"Are you still mad?" His deep voice echoed through the tunnel, even though he spoke softly.

"Not anymore..." she whispered back, and he put an arm around her. "I'm glad." His breath was warm on her face, and it made her blush deepen. "Can I have my kiss now?"

She giggled, and angled away from him slightly. "I don't know. Do you think you've worked hard enough?"

She felt his fingers creep up her bare arm, making her get goosebumps, then work their way to her neck. Her breath was getting faster, and her heart was racing. She heard a deep chuckle as he noticed her reaction, and after gently caressing her neck, his fingers made their way to her cheek.

"Oh, I think that I have. Don't you?"

She could only nod as his lips came across hers, and her eyes fluttered closed. She finally gave in as her arms wrapped around his neck.

She never could resist him...

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( :grins: This idea came from the forums again XD. But it was fun...

The funfair is based on Blackpool Pleasure Beach, where I used to visit when I was little. Only the place in my story is less tacky.

Please read and review! )


	47. Advantage

( Hi! I discovered I really liked writing these AU 'what if' chapters lmao. So this is another one (although with some tweaking it could have been after GSD)

Thankies to all my friends who review my stories, it means so much to me..

Thanks also to my friends on the forums, who help me think of ideas, especially Jadzia (aka irishdragon). She helps me far more than she realises, and sometimes she should get co-author credit on these stories. :hugs her: Thanks! )

Disclaimer (I remembered it): Erm...still no.

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The alarm blared out it's early morning call, causing the woman in the bed to awaken, then grumble and begin to push the bedcovers back. Sometimes Murrue wished she lived closer to her job, then she didn't have to get up at 6AM...

Her annoyance only increased when she found that, for some reason, she couldn't get out of bed. Something was holding her back. Turning her head to the left, she could only sigh as she saw the reason for her restraint. Mwu lay beside her, fast asleep, face as innocent as a child's. He lay on his side, as his back was still swathed in bandages due to the still-healing burns he had recieved.

Murrue huffed a little. _I've told him more than a dozen times to stay in the other room until he gets better. But he never listens... __I'm going to start locking him in if this carries on..._

Gently lifting his arm from around her waist, she paused as he stirred, then opened his eyes. He noticed she was awake, and gave her a sleepy smile. "Morning.."

Murrue gave him a stern look. "Good morning. Now, what did I tell you?"

Mwu wrapped his arm around her again and nuzzled close to her. "Awww, but I was lonely.." he whined, trying to kiss her.

She sighed, and stroked his hair softly. "But your burns will never heal fast this way. And you hate it when I have to change the bandages.."

He smiled, and kissed her gently on the lips. "Some things are worth a little discomfort..."

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As they drove to work, they discussed the things that they would be doing that day. Mwu was due to be testing a new Orb mobile suit that was still in production, code-named 'Murasame'. He wasn't able to tell Murrue much about it, as it was still meant to be a secret, but he was really looking forward to it, as it was the first time he'd had the opportunity to pilot anything since the end of the war. Murrue was worried, but she didn't let him see, as he was so excited about it.

"So what will you be up to, then?"

She shook her head. "Nothing nearly as exciting as what you have planned. Just maintenence on _Kusanagi_."

As they reached the Morgenroete shipbuilding facility, Mwu dropped her off outside, and kissed her goodbye. She waved as he drove away, smiling happily. She was so happy that she had this life with him, and was so used to having him around, that sometimes she rather took advantage of it, knowing that he would always be there. But she wasn't happy about him testing new mobile suits, as it reignited the familiar worry in her heart that something bad might happen to him...

That afternoon, after the maintenence was finished, she was sitting in the hangar bay on a packing crate with Erica, eating lunch. It was quiet and peaceful, and Murrue was just about to open the flask she had with her and pour a cup of coffee.

Until suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she felt kisses on her neck. Murrue jumped violently, and spun around, almost falling off the crate. Mwu stood there with a happy smile on his handsome face, eyes twinkling.

"W-what are you doing all the way out here?" she stuttered when she'd got her breath back. He just grinned.

"I wanted to see you. We can eat lunch together!"

She frowned. "You can see me when we get home..."

Erica was chuckling. "It's okay, Murrue. Go eat your lunch with Fllaga-san. I don't mind. And it's nice that he came all the way out here to see you." She waved away any protests Murrue had, and just smiled.

The pair ate their lunch together on a walkway overlooking the ships, chatting about their morning. Murrue was relieved to hear that the testing for the new MS went well, and that he was okay.

"How's your back feeling?"

Mwu wiggled his arms around, and winced a little. "A bit sore, but nothing I can't handle"

"That's good to know." she replied with a smile. Despite her protests and scolding, she was happy that he'd come to see her, and she wished lunch didn't have to end...

Later in the afternoon, Erica motioned to Murrue to come into her office. Murrue was rather worried she'd done something wrong, but her friend's smile reassured her.

"Murrue, you know that I don't mind you eating lunch with Fllaga-san. He is your boyfriend after all.."

The younger woman flushed pink, and looked at the floor. "I...I...he's so affectionate sometimes it can be embarrassing..."

Erica laughed. "Don't knock it. It's nice that he cares so much for you." Then her face became serious. "But also, don't take advantage of it."

Murrue frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you were able to find someone in the middle of a war, was able to fall in love and have that love returned, and you didn't lose that someone to the war."

"I almost did..."

Erica smiled. "Yes, but the point is that you _didn't_. And you're incredibly lucky for that. Some of the women working here lost their lovers or husbands in the war, either through accident or in battle. Your loved one survived thanks to what must have been a miracle. Now, do you remember how you felt in that space of time when you thought Fllaga-san was dead?"

Murrue gasped, and closed her eyes, an expression of pain crossing her pale face. She remembered all too well how she felt. It had felt like her heart had been ripped out, and she had barely been able to stop crying. When Kira had called out that they'd found Mwu, and he was alive, the relief had been almost too much to bear.

She nodded silently.

"Then try and imagine how it must be to feel like that all the time. Then remember how fortunate you are that he's alive. Treasure your time with him, don't push him away."

That night, Murrue thought long and hard about what Erica had told her. She was so subdued and quiet, it made Mwu very worried, and he tried everything he could to make her smile, cracking jokes, tickling her, making her favourite dessert, but she only smiled a little.

"Are you all right?" he asked finally, taking her hand. She looked up, and gave him the same small smile.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

Mwu sighed, and squeezed her hand. "You know if something's bothering you, you can talk to me about it...Come on now, we should get some sleep."

He made his way to the spare room, but he stopped when he saw her standing outside the main bedroom. "What is it?"

She held out her hand to him, and smiled again. "Come on."

Mwu blinked. "Really? But I thought that..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

As the couple climbed into the bed together, Murrue snuggled up to Mwu with a soft sigh, nestling her head on his shoulder.

He wasn't really meant to lay on his back just yet, but as he had said earlier...this was worth the discomfort. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and she curled a hand around his T-shirt, as if she was afraid to let go of him.

"Hey, are you all right?"

She nodded, and nuzzled even closer. "Yes. Just thinking about how lucky I am". She raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him in the semi-darkness. "I love you..."

Mwu smiled happily, and kissed her softly. "I love you too, Murrue.."

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( Lol, remember, you never know what you have until you lose it. Murrue-san must understand that in GSD, but in this version, she gets reminded.

Please read and review, okay? )


	48. Meeting

( Okay, word of warning. This is gonna be kinda weird..)

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_Where am I?_

All around him, all he could see were trees. This forest, if that's what it was, stretched almost as far as he could see in every direction. And it was dark. The twisted branches of the trees grew together, blocking out any daylight, and the roots of the trees were gnarled and tangled, making walking difficult.

_And how the hell did I get here?_

Neo sighed, and sat down on a treestump, running his hands through his long blonde hair. Okay, time to backtrack. The last thing he remembered was bidding goodnight to the Captain, and settling down in his quarters aboard the _Archangel._

And unless something really drastic had happened, that's where he still should be. So where was this? Was he dreaming again?

_It's possible. My dreams have been really weird lately..._

As his eyes became used to the dimness of this forest, Neo was able to make out a glimmer of light to his left. Deciding that wherever that was must be more cheerful than this petrified spider-web of trees, Neo began to climb over the twisted roots, pushing branches aside as he made his way towards the light. The source of light became stronger as he clambered, and the trees seemed to become less twisted, and more like real trees, tall and leafy.

_This is one strange place I'm in..._

As he finally reached the source of the light, Neo was able to see that it was a clearing in the forest. This clearing was carpeted with soft green grass dotted with a few flowers, and a gentle breeze blew. The light was bright, but didn't seem to be coming from any particular place. And in the middle of this clearing, a man lay on his back on the ground, chewing a blade of grass.

As Neo approached, the man sat up in surprise.

But his shock was nothing compared to Neo's. The man in the clearing wore a white Alliance uniform, which was creased and wrinkled, with the collar undone to show a blue undershirt, and the sleeves were rolled up. But it was the man's face that caused the most shock. It was a mirror image of his own, same hair colour, eye colour, everything. The only differences were that the other man's hair was shorter, and he possessed no scar.

Neo had no doubt that he was looking at Mwu La Fllaga. The man he was so often compared to, even now. Looking at the man, he could understand why a little now. But if he was looking at him, did that mean that he _wasn't_ Mwu? Or, if this really was a dream, as he suspected, did that mean that he _was_ Mwu? Shaking his head, Neo sat down in the grass.

_What's my mind trying to tell me? This is so confusing..._

Mwu smiled. "This is the first time I've everseen anyone else here..."

Neo looked over at him. "How come you're here? How did you get here?"

The other man shrugged. "No idea. The last thing I remember is blocking that shot headed for _Archangel_, my ship. Then I woke up here, wherever here is..."

"That must have been that battle two years ago. You saved the ship...they still talk about you." mused Neo, looking rather sad.

"I was able to save it? Save...her...hey, are _you_ on _Archangel_ now?"

Neo nodded. Mwu frowned. "Isn't the war over yet?"

"It did end, then started again two years later..."

"Is the _Archangel..._is the captain still..."

Neo laughed softly. "You mean, is Captain Ramius still in command? Yes, she is."

"She had to fight again...and I hoped that she'd never have to anymore...my poor Murrue..."

Mwu's voice sounded faraway and wistful, and Neo looked thoughtfully at him. "You still love her."

"I always will." replied the other man, a soft smile on his face. "I could never forget her."

"You're very lucky then. I'd give anything to be able to remember her..."

Mwu looked up at Neo curiously, seeming to notice his appearance for the first time. "Hey, who are you, anyway? And how come we look so alike?"

"I'm...I think...we might be the same person. I think this is a dream..and you...you might be my memories."

Mwu frowned in confusion. "Your memories? Why? Don't you have any?"

"None from before the last two years or so. Until just recently, I didn't really care. But now I know what I'm missing..."

Neo laughed in irony. "Or maybe I just want to be you. All everyone could say was how much I looked like you, and almost everyone's convinced that I **am** you. Maybe I am...but...I guess I'm jealous. Because everyone still mentions you, and because...because the Captain still loves you so much..."

Mwu's face lit up in sheer delight. "She does? Really?" Then his happy smile faded as he saw Neo's expression.

"You love her too..." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I do. But I always seem to make her sad. Because I'm not you."

Mwu lay back in the grass again. "I think...that you are me. But you haven't accepted that yet. Maybe that's why you don't remember anything." Then he laughed.

"Or maybe. I was never good at this metaphysical stuff. But I do know that _I'm _jealous of _you_."

"Me? Why? You remember everything..."

"That's true. But you get to be by my Murrue's side. And I'd give anything for that."

Neo was about to answer, when a shrill alarm ripped through the forest, and the next thing he knew, he was back in his quarters aboard _Archangel_. He was vaguely aware of dreaming about something important, but he couldn't remember what it was. But there was no time to ponder. Instead, it was time to fight.

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( Random weirdness XD.

I don't know why I chose to write about this...hope it's not too odd. I wrote it to be set before the final battle started at the end of GSD.

Please read and review...)


	49. Showing Off

( Round two XD )

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The lake shimmered in the pale sunlight, steam rising from it due to the heavy rains that had been falling for the last few days. The raindrops still glistened in the trees, and the puddles on the ground rippled in the light breeze.

The little family walked through the woods, dodging the bigger puddles, and walking through (or jumping in) the smaller ones. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, and a perfect day for a walk. Stellar jumped in almost every puddle she came across, the temptation being too much to resist for an eight-year-old, and her pink wellington boots were covered in mud, and her cheeks were pink with her dashing about so much. Lily sat in the pushchair, being too little at almost two to walk far. The pushchair rolled along, being pushed by Murrue, who was pointing out all the different trees and animals to the toddler.

She was walking arm-in-arm with Mwu whilst pushing the chair, and they were sharing happy smiles at the memories of coming here on romantic evening walks before they had got married. The memories made Murrue blush a little, but despite Stellar's questioning, she wouldn't tell her why.

"Just remembering things. You'll find out when you're older, sweetie."

Stellar pouted, and smiled sweetly at her father. "Papa, won't you tell me?" Mwu just grinned and ruffled the little girl's hair.

"I think your mama's right on this one..."

"You're no fun. Okay, when I get older, you have to tell me. Promise?"

Murrue blushed again, and looked down, and Mwu chuckled. "Maybe."

Stellar grumbled about that, but soon cheered up when they reached the banks of the lake. A motley assortment of ducks paddled in the shallows, and waddled about on the banks, pecking at the ground.

"Hey, look! Can we feed the ducks, Mama?" asked the girl, her auburn pigtails bouncing as she jumped up and down.

Murrue reached down into the pushchair's bag, pulling out a bag of bread crusts.

"There you are. Make sure you break it up into little bits so they can eat it properly, okay?"

Mwu and Murrue smiled as they watched their daughter throw the bread to the ducks, listening to her giggle as the birds pecked and swallowed, quacking as they fought over the morsels.

Suddenly, the quacking was drowned out by a loud hissing, and a huge white bird appeared on the banks, flapping it's wings and scaring all the ducks away. Stellar screamed, threw the rest of the bread on the ground, and ran back to her parents, hiding behind Mwu.

"What's that, Papa? It's scary!" she whimpered, peeking out from behind his back.

"It's a swan...I guess he was hungry too." The family watched as the swan pecked up all the rest of the bread, then launched itself back into the water, swimming away majestically.

"But the ducks will be all hungry now..." said the girl, looking sad. Mwu pretended to think.

"Well, tell you what, how about we feed _you_ to them?" Lifting Stellar up, he made as if to throw her in the lake, and she squealed and giggled. "No, put me down!"

Mwu put his daughter down just as they reached the water's edge. "Ooof, you're heavy!"

Murrue had been laughing that entire time. "No, honey. It's because you don't get enough exercise, and you eat too many cookies."

Stellar giggled, and poked her father in the stomach. "Papa's podgy!"

He blinked at that, then lunged at the little girl, who ran back to her mother, laughing all the time.

As they walked along the woodland path, Lily wiggled her legs, and reached out, trying to get out of the pushchair.

"What is it? Do you want to walk for a while?" The toddler nodded, and Murrue unclasped the restraints, lifting Lily out of the chair and onto the ground. She raced around, jumping in little puddles just like her big sister, and she found something in one of those puddles that fascinated her.

"What that?"

Mwu leaned over the puddle, and grinned. "That's a worm."

"Worm?"

"Uh-huh, a wiggly worm." Picking it up, he held it out to Stellar. "Wanna hold it?" At the girl's refusal, he held it out to his wife.

"What about you?" Murrue screwed her face up. "Yuck."

"No fun, you're all sissies" He made as if to put the worm back in the puddle, then pretended to throw it at Murrue, who shrieked and ducked.

Stellar suddenly pointed to the trail up ahead. "Hey look at that!" A little wooden hut stood in the trees. "It's like a fairy tale! Can we go inside? Please?"

"Sure we can. It's lunchtime, anyway. We can eat in there."

The four of them sat on the little benches inside the hut, and Mwu unpacked the picnic lunch from the pack he carried. There was sandwiches, crisps, muffins, all kinds of things. There was also juice, and coffee, as well as fruit, as Murrue took being a mother very seriously, and didn't want her children to only eat junk food.

"What's this hut for, Mama?"

"It's for birdwatching. People come and sit in here to look at the birds. If you look out of the window, there's a perfect view of the lake."

The eight-year-old peered out of the hut's window at the lake, and saw many birds on the water, including the swan from earlier.

"Oh...I see. That's nice that they don't have to sit in the outside and watch when it's raining..."

After lunch, they carried on their walk, Lily this time sitting on her father's shoulders. As they rounded the edge of the lake, they heard a rush and a gurgle of water, and a weir came into sight. Stellar watched, mesmerised by the water.

"What's that for, Papa?"

"It's like an overflow for the lake. Because it's rained so much, the lake might get too full, and then it would flood and cause a lot of trouble. So this helps all the extra water drain away." The little girl nodded at her father's explanation, and Murrue watched with a soft smile, thinking how good a teacher Mwu had turned out to be.

Lily watched the weir, blue eyes wide. The rush and roar of the water frightened her, and she started to cry. "Don't like it!" she wailed kicking at Mwu's shoulders until her mother lifted her down and gave her a cuddle.

"Ssssshh, it's all right, it's all right. It's only water..." The toddler looked up at Murrue with wet eyes, and sniffled. "Scary..." she whimpered.

To make their walk shorter, the four of them cut across the lake on the small path that had been placed in the shallower water. The path had raised kerb edges to help people feel more secure, and Stellar jumped on these and ran across them easily, being part of the gymnastic team at her school. Murrue called out to her to be careful, but the girl had perfect balance, and didn't even stumble as she ran across to the other side.

Mwu grinned. "Hey, that looks like fun!" Stepping on the kerb edge, he tried to run across too.

"Wait, Mwu, be..." Murrue got no further as a terrific splash cut her off, and her husband vanished into the lake.

"Mwu? Mwu, are you okay? Where are you?"

He appeared above the surface, coughing and spluttering, covered in green weed and mud, and clambered back onto the path.

"Bad...idea..." he wheezed, coughing again.

"Well, of course it was." replied his wife unsympathetically. "You can't keep acting like a kid, Mwu..." she sighed, and put her jacket around him to warm him up after his freezing dip.

"I think we'd better go home now..." and they walked back to the car, the children giggling the entire time.

As Murrue drove them home, Mwu began to shiver, and his cheeks were flushed pink. This worried Murrue, as he never got sick. When they reached home, she got him into a warm bath, and then dry clothes, and tucked him into bed.

He was shivering violently, and his golden hair clung limply to his damp forehead.

"Now look what happened. You caught a chill..." Murrue brushed aside the hair from his face, and put a hand to his cheek.

"You idiot. What were you thinking?"

He looked up at her, blue eyes bright with fever, and moaned. "Sorry..."

She sat on the bed by his side, putting a cool cloth to his head, and he reached out to her, resting his head on her lap, where he fell asleep.

Stellar and Lily peeked around the bedroom door. "Is Papa okay?" whispered the older girl, and her mother nodded.

"Yes, he'll be fine, he just has a bit of a cold. This might teach him not to show off..."

Stellar smiled. "Papa will never learn to not show off."

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( Ta-da! Two in one day :wins:

The lake is based entirely on one I visited with my grandparents when I was little, including the hut, the path, the weir, and the swan XD

And as for Mwu...well, he shows off so much...actions have consequences sometimes :laughs:

Please read and review! )


	50. Ofuro: Bath

( And again! Okay, this might seem similar to Jadzia's version, but I promise I didn't copy, I just really really wanted to write a bath scene...)

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Murrue looked from side to side, all around her, in order to be totally sure that someone wasn't watching. This was so embarassing...The door in front of her looked just like any other aboard the _Archangel_, but...

Neo Lorrnoke stood beside her, a happy smile on his scarred face. "Well, come on, let's go in!"

Murrue hugged herself and stared at the floor, mumbling. "I thought you wanted to look round the ship first..."

Neo laughed. "There'll be plenty of time for that later. Right now, if we have time to take a break, then we should use it, don't you think? Come on, it'll be fun!"

The woman glanced up at the tall man, not able to hide the small smile quirking at the corners of her mouth. The Colonel was so different now from the surly sarcastic prisoner he had been a few short weeks ago. He was so cheerful and playful now, he really did seem like another person. She liked the change, and she could tell that the other members of the crew did as well.

She finally sighed, and pushed the button to open the doors in front of them. However much she had protested, a hot bath really did sound good...

Inside, the changing rooms waited just ahead, and a small corridor led off to the left. "Go on, then," Murrue pointed Neo in the direction of that corridor. The man looked baffled, blue eyes showing confusion. "What's that for?"

She cocked her head to one side, unsure what he meant. "That's the men's side..."

The Colonel's smile faded, and an expression of immense disappointment crossed his face instead. "You mean it's not a mixed bath?"

Murrue flushed. "No, it isn't."

"But there's no-one else in there..." He wore a pleading look. "Come on, can I go in there with you? Please?"

Murrue's blush deepened. "N-no!" she stuttered, trying to push him down the corridor.

His broad shoulders slumped, and she thought he had finally given in. Then, quick as a flash, he took hold of one of her slender hands, and walked into the changing room, pulling her along behind him.

"L-let go! Please let go!" Murrue tried to remove her hand from his grasp, panicking. What was he going to do?

Neo turned around in surprise, and immediately let her go when he saw how frightened the Captain was. He held up his hands.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just...I really wanted to be able to take a bath with you. I promise I wouldn't have done anything..."

She still looked rather afraid, her face hidden by her dark hair. Neo could make out a red blush on her cheeks, and despite everything, smiled. "Please, trust me, okay? I'll stay at the other end of the bath and everything..." His tone had become wheedling, and he reached out and gently tilted her head up to face him. "Do you trust me?"

The Captain didn't answer him, just stared at him with those wide dark eyes of hers, as if trying to see some hint of falsehood, but then sighed softly, and nodded. Pulling away from him, she stepped into one of the changing rooms, and closed the door behind her.

Neo's heart was racing, and he felt slightly giddy with anticipation. He really wasn't going to try anything, but just the thought of being in the bath with her...

Afterwards, they both stood clad in towels, and Neo made as if to climb straight into the bath, when the Captain caught his wrist.

"Wait! You can't just go in there...you need to take a shower first.."

He blinked, bewildered, but nodded.

_Why shower **before** a bath? Oh well..._

The two of them stood in the (unfortunately communal) shower, turned away from each other as they washed. Neo found that he **really** wanted to turn around a little and look at her, but he had made her a promise he wouldn't try anything, and he wanted to keep it.

Murrue risked a peek behind her to make sure he really wasn't watching, and let out a faint sigh of relief. She was about to turn back when she caught sight of the livid scars on his tanned back. They were ugly gashes, and looked as if they must have taken a long time to heal. The biggest stretched all the way down his back, and Murrue winced in sympathy. Her gaze travelled a little lower...and then she turned back quickly, cheeks burning.

_What was that for? There was no need to look _that_ far down! _

The pair of them stepped into the hot water of the bath, clad in their towels. The water was perfect, and they sat down at opposite ends, as they had agreed. The heat of the water, and the steam was very relaxing, but Murrue was far too nervous to enjoy it properly. Even though she did trust him, she was incredibly embarrassed, and worried in case someone came in and saw them both together. So she huddled in the corner, eyes fixed on the water.

Neo glanced over at her, seeing how nervous she was, and felt a twinge of guilt that he had asked her to do this. But...he hadn't been able to help himself. Ever since he'd discovered there was a bath like this on the _Archangel_, he had entertained a daydream of one day asking the Captain to take a bath with him. And with those kids out of the way...today was perfect.

She looked just as he had pictured her. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the water (and probably embarrassment), and her dark eyes were bright from the steam. Some of her auburn hair had escaped from the clip she had fastened it up with, and the damp tendrils framed her face, making her pale creamy skin stand out even more.

_Whoa...she's stunning. Even better looking than normal. This was definitely the right decision..._

Neo was able to understand now how much this Mwu must have loved the Captain. If it was anywhere near what he had come to feel for her, he was able to understand why he had given up his life to try and save her. He was sure that if anything like that happened again, then he would do the same.

_It's ironic how quickly things change. When I got here, I didn't care if I hurt her, or made her cry. Now all I want is to make her smile, to be able to heal some of the pain she still feels..._

"I'm sorry."

The Captain looked up at him in surprise. "For what?"

"For the things I said when I first got here. For making you cry..." She shook her head, more of the dark hair slipping from it's restraint. "No, it's okay. You didn't know what was happening, it's nothing to be sorry about..."

"But still.." he said earnestly. "Now that I know why you were so upset..I wanted to apologise."

She smiled a little. "Thank you."

He smiled back, the expression soft and gentle. His long blonde hair was tied back slightly, and he looked so much like Mwu that Murrue felt her heart flip, and had to look at the water again, blushing furiously.

"I - I..I wanted to ask...you have so many scars...how did you get them?"

It was clearly not the question the Colonel had been expecting. "Huh? These? Well..." he sighed.

"I'm not really sure. I was in a military hospital for a long time, at least three or four months, before they healed properly. They hurt like hell. I didn't know how I got them, and it wasn't before they had almost healed that they told me. It was the same guy who told me who I was, some kind of doctor. He said I'd gotten them when ZAFT destroyed the ship I was on, and that I had been the only survivor, all my comrades had been killed. Since I didn't have a clue either way, I believed them, as I had nothing else. That's why I ended up fighting ZAFT. But I guess...that what I was told isn't true. I don't really know what was real and what wasn't. But I thought that here...I might be able to find it. Because I believe in _you_."

Murrue gasped, as much in surprise at what he had just said as in sadness for the lies he had been told. Moving close to him, she took him into her arms, not caring who came in and saw them, only wanting to comfort him.

"Don't worry.." she whispered in his ear. "It'll be okay. You'll find what you're looking for, I'm sure of it."

Neo closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of her soap, and wrapping his arms around her slender body.

"I think maybe I already have..."

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( Awwwww, poor Neo-san, huh? I don't know how the EA explained to him where those scars came from, but logically they must have had to tell him something... And the scars on his back...I checked out phase 31 of GSD, the shower scene. The things I have to do, huh:blush and giggle:

Andon that note, this series of stories has come to an end. I think 50 chapters might just be enough :laughs:

But I still have lots more ideas, so I'll probably start all over again with a new collection.

Please read and review, and thanks for all the reviews I've had! )


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